And its not always been plain sailing.
Many gadgets have tried to come out on top and many have failed.
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So, how do you go about achieving this?
We put this to Andy Knight, Head of Global Brand at Roborock.
He explained that when building the updated version of their robot vacuum Roborock S6 MaxV they faced this problem.
As people with big home cleaning needs, pet owners were a huge potential market for them.
And just what are those pains?
We spoke to pet owners to find out.
But, if you have a particularly fuzzy friend, you may need to do this even more often.
But trusting a robovac to get the job done isnt always an option either.
This gave them the perfect user testing opportunity.
And its not just fluff.
As a result, the updated version of Roborocks product has 25% more suction power.
They also built an option for users to target specific rooms which may need more regular cleaning than others.
Lets talk about the pooptastrophe.
We dont need to tell you it wasnt a pretty sight.
In the morning, he awoke to horror: a poop-smeared living area enabled by a robovac.
According to Knight, Many, many, many hours were spent in training robots for obstacle recognition.
This continuous learning feature helps to prepare the robovac for different challenges pets may put them up against.
Before the camera version I would only use the vacuum when I was at home.
But now I feel comfortable letting it run when Im not there, Knight said.
Another cool pet-friendly gadget that uses cameras to help owners prepare for the unexpected are smart animal doors.
Theres even more that smart home gadgets with cameras can do for pet owners though.
When her owners decided to put in new floors they found a treasure trove of missing socks.
Another gadget that keeps this principle in mind is thismicrochip pet feeder.
While some pets may be dainty eaters, others are Garfield incarnate.
These pets will stop at nothing to chow down on their food and that of your other pets.
This means you might rest assured that BOTH your pets are being well fed while youre away.
So if youre building a pet-friendly gadget, its good to invest in the camera.
Take the example of Loa, a loveable Pitbull/American Staffordshire mix.
And, it turns out, shes also a giant baby.
Loud noises, other dogs, water, and even her own reflection intimidate her.
And vacuuming… forget it.
Shes terrified when I vacuum and barks the whole time.
If they register something as a threat theyll bark, become nervous, and stressed.
Thats why, when building a pet friendly gadget, noise has to be a key concern.
Pet products should be fairly quiet and adaptable because pets are unpredictable, Knight explained.
Keep in mind, this feature may help to calm some animals, while confusing others.
Its really down to your specific pet and their needs.
