1. Internet of Things
IoT wearables have proven their effectiveness in tracking people’s health and fitness. IoT has also improved our ability to find out everyone’s and everything’s whereabouts. A few scientists and entrepreneurs are now developing IoT wearables that can serve animals. Activity trackers for dogs and cats, which can be attached unobtrusively to their collars, can help owners monitor their pet’s behavior and activities regardless of how far they might be. IoT-enabled trackers use a combination of sensors and transmitters for recording pet activity, such as when is the pet sitting, standing, running, walking, or lying down. This information can help pet owners create fitness goals for their pets and plan an exercise and diet regimen for them. IoT wearables also come with GPS trackers that can help keep tabs on the pet.
2. Artificial Intelligence
There is still a long way to go before we can have artificially intelligent, robotic pets. Until then, AI can help you and your pet to connect and create cherished memories together. No matter how much you want to be with your pet, you have to leave your pet home alone when you go to work or to places where pets aren’t allowed. In such situations, you reluctantly leave your pet home alone for hours until you return. A California based tech startup, which specializes in pet technology, has announced an AI application that uses pet recognition technology to activate live two-way video calls between an owner and the pet. All a pet needs to do, to call you, is stand at a designated spot in front of the camera, and you will receive a video call on your device. Your pet can also trigger a selfie recording session, which you can view later.
3. Big Data
Big data analytics can help you monitor your pet’s health over time and identify early signs of sickness. Big data can help you gain more insights into your pet’s behavioral patterns and preferences. The data generated by pet activity monitors over time for different species of animals can be used to identify patterns and know more about a pet, which helps take better care of pets. The data collected from the devices can also help spot any sudden changes in the behavior of a pet, so you can diagnose issues and take remedial action as early as possible to ensure a long, healthy life for your pet. Big data can not only help your pets but also help stranded animals that have been abandoned and orphaned. The powerful combination of big data and AI can lead to incredibly powerful applications that will help in gaining deeper insights to save and protect the abandoned animals.
In addition to the ones listed above, there are many other ways technology is helping animals. Pet technology, especially pet wearables, is a growing market, which is expected to be worth $8 billion by 2024. This is a good news for both pets and animal-lovers, as this means greater investment and improved technologies for you and your pets to enjoy.
