Pebby makes long-distance pet relationships more fun

I’m convinced that if humans could find fun in simple games as easily as pets, our world would be a healthier place. Watching footage of dogs playing with Hansen Goh’s Pebby pet toy, launched today, has only persuaded me of this further.

The smartphone-controlled mechanized ball keeps pets active and in good spirits, letting owners remotely draw their companions from one room to the next over WiFi for over 90 minutes of playtime and 15 hours of standby.

Pebby was designed with two modes of play – the aforementioned remote-controlled mode and a mode that leverages a smart dog collar. Once the collar is attached, Pebby can be set up to automatically chase and repel away from pets for long-distance play.

Owners can set up alerts to be notified whenever their pet is playing with Pebby. The collar also tracks fitness with results that owners can view from within the Pebby app. The battery inside the collar will last for 8-12 days.

Pet owners can use two-way audio and an integrated 720p wide-angle camera to build bonds with their furry friends from anywhere in the world. An integrated laser, LED lights and speaker throw more possibilities into the mix and a swappable shell makes it easy to customize the look of the ball.

When all is said and done, all you have to do is use the app to guide the ball back into its wireless charging holding cradle. Pebby will be retailing for $124 for a limited time on Kickstarter before increasing in price to $248.