Acer-owned company Pawbo announced its latest offering in the form of the Pawbo Munch, an interactive pet feeder and entertainment device. The Taiwanese firm’s new product is a treat dispenser that can be controlled remotely, plays music to grab your pet’s attention, and even lets pets play a mini-game to earn their snacks. Finally, it also allows pet owners to ration and schedule their pet’s meals while they’re away from home. The company says Munch is compatible with all popular pet treats and comes with an input modifier.
For every pet owner, there is always a fear for the safety and well-being of their fuzzy friend and Pawbo is looking to help them interact with pets when they’re traveling or at work. So far, the company has created Pawbo+, a smaller pet feeder that included a camera and a set of speakers so the owner can check on their pet. On the other hand, Munch doesn’t offer any kind of broadcasting capabilities but instead gamifies the process of feeding your companions. The front display has an integrated slot machine-style game that rewards the pet with varying amounts of snacks while also playing catchy tunes to entertain them. The device comes with a tray where the food and treats get dispensed so pet owners can worry less about their pets making a mess. Consumers looking to modernize their pets’ daily routines will have to make an additional purchase, though, as Pawbo Munch can’t be controlled via phone unless it’s connected to a Pawbo+ device; the basic model of that product will set you back $200, whereas the full “Theme Park” comes with a $230 price tag and also includes a cat toy.
Pawbo Munch, as well as the company’s other novelties like iPuppyGo activity tracker and WagTag geo-fencing and locator device, will be on display at Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) 2017 which is starting in Berlin tomorrow and will run until Wednesday. The company has yet to disclose more specifics regarding the availability and pricing of its newly announced smart pet feeder, though the product itself is still expected to hit the market by this year’s holiday season.