IoT pets

For many families in America, the addition of a pet into the home helped them cope with the emotional stresses of global Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. The Guardian reports that almost 9 million dogs were welcomed into households across America during the timeframe, a figure equivalent to the population of New York City. There are 108 million canines in the U.S. — nearly one dog for every three humans — along with the estimated 79 million cats, and owners are more invested than ever in the health and wellbeing of their pets.

The pet technology sector has experienced tremendous growth resulting from the influx in animal adoption. Global Market Insights reports an industry value surpassing $5 billion USD in 2021, with projections indicating that over 130 million pet smart devices will be shipped across the country by 2028. This article will examine the tech that monitors the safety of the nation's four-legged friends, and provide insight into the new developments designed to enhance the way owners interact with their pets.

Invisible borders

Halo, a leading internet of things (IoT) powered device manufacturer, is releasing the Halo 2 smart monitoring system. Featuring an enhanced built-in GPS, the dog collar/invisible fence system allows owners to replace in-ground or electric fences. The collar holds memory for up to 20 GPS-geo-tagged dog fences, created simply by walking the boundary of their property or drawing a perimeter around an area on their mobile-connected app.

Featuring an endorsement by celebrity dog trainer Cesar Millan, Halo devices use IoT sensors to detect an animal's presence on a homeowner's property, and keep them within an easily adjusted invisible fence line.

Calorie control

Smart monitoring pet food dispensers have been available to pet owners for a number of years already. Thanks to IoT-implementation, devices like the Xiaomi Smart Pet Food Feeder are turning next-generation remote feeding systems into full-fledged diet plans. With smartphone monitoring and emergency backup power capabilities, the pets can automatically be fed on time even amid power outages.

Although Pet Keen reports the company is no longer producing the tech, the PetNet SmartFeeder had aimed to assess the dietary requirements of pets and create a customized feeding regimen based on their needs. PetNet's device had been able to track caloric intake on a granular level, and allowed owners to monitor and adjust feeding schedules through a variety of connected devices. The SmartFeeder is no longer in production, but other IoT-based devices may soon build upon the innovative meal-planning capabilities of their sensor-driven feeder system.

Fetch, like never before

The GoPro Fetch is a wearable harness system that features a water-friendly camera that's perfect for owners who are curious about life from their pet's perspective. Designed to offer comfort for even small dogs, the device can be mounted comfortably on the back of dogs ranging from 20 to 120lbs. Having adapted the durability of GoPro to pet-specific functions, playtime activities such as digging and fetch can be captured in 4K resolution.

Perle powers innovation

Perle is proud to partner with IoT device manufacturers by offering serial to ethernet solutions. To learn more about how Perle provides efficient, reliable connectivity via industrial switches and terminal servers, visit our Case Studies by Industry page.