Smart dog food bowl curbs overeating

ProBowl is a connected dog bowl that helps prevent overfeeding by lighting up when the right amount of food is detected.

An estimated 54 percent of dogs in the US are overweight or obese, but a new connected dog food bowl could help curb overfeeding of pets by making it easier for their owners to give them the right amount of food and water each day. From San Francisco startup Obe Dog, ProBowl is a smart scale and a bowl combo that connects to a companion app via Bluetooth.

To begin, users input their dog’s information and what brand of food it eats. Then, ProBowl will generate a recommended daily allowance based on the dog’s breed, age and weight. Come feeding time, the smart scale will alert owners when they’ve poured serving.

ProBowl also enables the user to keep tabs on their dog’s feeding habits and uses a system of lights to warn them if something is wrong — if someone accidentally puts food in when the dog has already eaten, the base will glow red to tell them not to. Additionally, users can set the app to automatically reorder dog food when they are running low. Finally, for overweight dogs the system can gradually lower the dog’s serving, and help them lose weight healthily.

ProBowl is currently crowdfunding on Indiegogo. Pledgers can preorder a device for USD 69 for estimated delivery in April 2016, and it is expected to retail for USD 129. Could a similar system be used by humans too?