PetLibro, the pet technology startup known for its popular automatic feeders and filtered water fountains, has unveiled its latest innovative offering—the Scout Smart Camera. This AI-powered device promises pet owners enhanced real-time interaction and valuable insights into their pets’ behaviors and activities.
Like other smart pet cameras on the market, Scout provides real-time monitoring and features two-way audio communication, allowing owners to speak directly to their pets and intervene whenever necessary. The camera is operated through a companion smartphone app, which allows users to control its movements manually or let the automated motion detection technology track pets as they move. Additionally, the camera can emit a chirping sound to capture a pet’s attention if it steps out of view.
What notably distinguishes Scout, however, is its robust artificial intelligence capabilities. Utilizing pet-recognition technology, the device can expertly detect and track various behaviors, such as eating, drinking, using the litter box, or simply moving across a room. Scout also snaps spontaneous pet selfies whenever activity is detected and assembles these into daily highlight summaries, hosted securely on the cloud for up to 30 days.
Even more impressively, Scout’s advanced AI can recognize and separately track multiple pets. Currently, the device allows two distinct pet profiles to be managed through the mobile app.
Founder and CEO of PetLibro, York Wu, noted the complexity of refining AI for multi-pet households: “Initially, our AI models struggled to differentiate between pets that looked alike. Traditional facial recognition methods simply didn’t work when animals shared similar appearances or quick movements. So, we designed an innovative, first-of-its-kind AI system that grows stronger over time, improving its accuracy through ongoing user feedback and data.”
A charming and unique feature offered by Scout is its playful, AI-generated descriptions of pet activities. Users will occasionally receive delightful notifications such as, “Zelda is calmly strolling across the shiny floor, her nose pointed forward in gentle curiosity,” making daily interactions with pets more engaging and endearing.
Additionally, Scout supports sharing access with up to five other users, allowing family members and friends to join in and monitor pets’ antics.
Priced at $100, PetLibro’s Scout Smart Camera includes subscription options to access its AI-enhanced functions. Users can opt for a standard subscription at $12 per month or a premium service for $17 per month. By comparison, pet camera competitor Furbo has its AI-enhanced “Nanny” assistant at a cost of $7 monthly, although the Furbo camera itself retails for a higher price of $210.
Despite its competitive pricing, PetLibro’s Scout currently lacks Furbo’s specialized barking detection capability but plans to introduce both barking and meowing detection features in the near future. Such additions could significantly broaden its appeal, given Furbo’s primary targeting of dog owners.
Scout also lacks a feeding mechanism—a feature soon to find its way into PetLibro’s broader lineup. The company aims to integrate AI into selected feeders and water dispensers, hoping this strategy serves as a critical differentiator from other pet technology brands.
Regarding privacy, PetLibro confirms image and video data are collected for internal improvements, including refinement of AI algorithms. Like industry-standard practices at companies such as Google Nest or Amazon Ring, PetLibro maintains data collection complies with rigorous cybersecurity protocols, mentioning explicitly that audio data is not retained or utilized for AI development purposes.
