‘Dog n bone’ device lets anxious pets video call their owners

The system, dubbed DogPhone, works when a pet picks up and shakes a ball fitted with an accelerometer. When the accelerometer senses movement, it prompts a video call on a screen connected to the device.

Believed to be the first of its kind, the invention is the brainchild of the University of Glasgow lecturer Dr Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas, her 10-year-old labrador, Zack, and colleagues from Aalto University in Finland.

The team behind the pet-friendly invention said the DogPhone could help address the separation anxiety of pets who have grown used to having people at home during the coronavirus pandemic.

Hirskyj-Douglas explained: “There are hundreds of internet-connected ‘smart toys’ on the market that dog owners can buy for their pets. But the vast majority of them are built with the needs of dog owners in mind, allowing them to observe or interact with their pets while away from home.”

The specialist in animal-computer interaction at the university’s...