Games can be both entertainment and learning for humans, so why not do it for dogs too? This is the thought of the British company Joipaw, which works to create games for man’s best friend.
Like the website Axios writes, Joipaw has developed a kind of console for dogs. This allows the four-legged animals to solve simple games, such as asking them to press objects on a (water-resistant) screen in exchange for treats as a reward.
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According to Joipaw, it’s not just about fun for the dogs. The gang built on 2017 research that says games can strengthen dogs’ cognitive properties, especially among older dogs.
Little research has yet been done on the subject, but according to Clara Mancini the results for the moment are promising. Mancini studies the interaction between animals and machines at the Open University in the UK and acts as an advisor to the Joipaw gang. Among other things, she believes that video games have an advantage over regular puzzles because they gradually become more difficult.
In addition to providing fun and games, the Joipaw machine also collects a large amount of data about your dog. These can then be analyzed to inform you about the dog’s health and, for example, whether he needs a visit to the vet.
Joipaw doesn’t currently have a release date, but the team writes that the goal is to release the product “as soon as possible”.
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