The Internet of Dogs Has Arrived

Traveling can be hard on a person, but it is often even harder on their pets. Special toys, beds, and treats can only help just so much. Social animals need to interact with their owners or they are going to start feeling down in no time. It is helpful if friends or family can stop by for a little while during the trip, but most animals need a lot more attention than that.

Redditor WillingnessFinal7788 came up with a great solution for a very lonely dog. It is an automatic ball launcher that plays fetch with the dog. It doesn’t just randomly launch balls around, as you might expect. Rather, it is an interactive toy that the owner can control via a web app. That’s right, the Internet of Dogs has finally arrived!

The DIY contraption is built into a wooden box. A Raspberry Pi hosts the application, and also controls a relay. This relay turns on a motor that pulls back a lever arm with a tennis ball at the end of it. When released, the ball gets launched across the room to the delight of any dog within earshot.

Now, one tossed ball is fine and all, but it’s not going to keep Rover occupied for long. So to keep the fun times rolling, WillingnessFinal7788 added a hopper to the system. The dog has learned to drop the ball in the hopper after retrieving it, which allows the ball launcher to reset. Game on!

Have you got a dog that could use some attention while you are at work or on the road? Check out the project write-up to learn more about this ball launcher.