UK start-up Joipaw announced its debut product, a gaming console for dogs. The developers assure that interactive play benefits the health of pets, among other things by delaying the symptoms of canine dementia.
According to the official website of the venture, as we can read on the official website, this device was initially created as a hobby project to entertain the founders’ dogs when they were away from home for long periods of time. After consultation with scientific experts, partners decided to produce a consumer version of the invention.
This device itself consists of a large touchscreen tablet, which is integrated into a base, in turn incorporating a dispenser of dog treats.
The animal plays by touching the tablet with its nose, which features simple games, such as tapping on popping moles, and pointing to the half of the screen with more objects on it. For successful completion of challenges, a pet is rewarded with a treat.
As the Axios website’s editors learned from the creators, a 2017 study proving that dogs’ performance of simple puzzles is beneficial in preventing memory loss in advanced age, amongst other things, was used as the basis for the initiative.
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Authors mention that the biggest challenge was designing the games in such a way that they would be encouraging and understandable to dogs from the first contact.
At the moment it is not known when Joipaw will go on sale. However, The company is currently developing a price list for the device and subscriptions for additional play modes.
Further mini-games are also planned, including those involving joint play between a four-legged dog and its owner. However, the creators do see a lot of potential in the venture and “can imagine dog e-sports in the future.”
