O Sitter is an automatic feeder that can do smart tracking and more for your fur...

O Sitter is an automatic feeder that can do smart tracking and more for your furry friends

O Sitter is an automatic feeder that can do smart tracking and more for your furry friends

Ward Zhou

posted on 5 hours agoEditor : Boyuan Wang

What's new in the smart pet feeder?

The concept of smart homes has long been revolutionizing the way we live. Not surprisingly, this innovative approach has also made its way to our pets' lives.

Enter O Sitter, a pet companion device introduced by HHOLOVE is a smart pet brand under HHO which is founded by the former vice president of Alibaba Group and CEO of Dingtalk, Mr. Chen Hang. This device, a unique combination of a pet activity tracker, a customizable pet feeder, and a remote-controlled camera, is designed to create a modern, tech-enabled interaction between pets and their owners.

However, as with any new gadget, it also has its share of peaks and valleys. In this review, we take a closer look at this pet-care solution, evaluating its strengths and identifying issues worth knowing.

TL; DR

• Smart tracking Pets’ activities
• Rich and customize feeding plan
• Powerful remote camera and play features
• Easy setup
• Modern design
• Reusable wrapping box

Againsts

• Tracking algorithms miss some moments
• Occasionally failed connections with the remote control
• Overheating issue on your phone side for the remote camera feature

Modern and appealing design

The O Sitter makes a strong first impression with its distinctive and engaging packaging. Immediately noticeable is a two-part box, each section bearing a circular hole. Once you remove the device and its components, the box ingeniously transforms into a cat home.

Considering how cats tend to be more interested in boxes than their contents, this is a delightful and thoughtful touch.

The lower part of the box is a lively orange, adding a pleasant dash of color to any setting. Set beside a window or on a desk, it has quickly become a favored spot for my cat, perfect for resting and sleeping.

Moving on to the device itself, it resembles a minimalist, armless and legless android in a sleek white. The 'head' houses a screen displaying basic emotive states to indicate its operational status and includes a camera for tracking your pet's activities and monitoring the food supply.

Easy set-up

Ease of setup is a significant consideration for users when purchasing smart devices, and on this front, the O Sitter excels. The device arrives almost fully assembled in the box.

The accompanying installation guide is intuitively designed with clear illustrations and step-by-step instructions, simplifying the entire process. The basic setup involves installing the bracket, plugging in the power adapter, filling the feeder with cat food, and adjusting the food holder at the bottom.

Additional guidance, complete with vivid illustrations, can be found on the device body and inside the food bowl. These are not only intuitive but aesthetically pleasing due to the thoughtful design.

The companion app enhances the user experience with well-designed animations and illustrations. The in-app instructions guide users through connecting the device to the internet, setting up a pet profile, and creating feeding plans.

When it comes to setting up feeding plans, the app offers an abundance of customization options. It can automatically generate a plan based on your cat's weight, age, and breed. These plans can then be adjusted to better fit your cat's specific needs. In my case, my cat is smaller than average and has a smaller appetite, so I customized the default plan for a more appropriate portion size.

Vlogging your pets' daily hours

The O Sitter is equipped with a 3 MP camera capable of 360-degree horizontal and 180-degree vertical movements. This functions like a pet sitter, vlogging your cat's activities—ranging from movements, mealtimes, and play sessions.

These vlogs are subsequently uploaded and presented as a feed in the app and will be available during limited-time windows. But you can always download them to your phone timely.

This feature provides chances to keep a closer eye on your pet and understand their habits better. The app allows for the filtration and replay of these records, granting insight into your cat's actions at any given time. This feature proved particularly revealing for me when I suspected my cat of being nocturnal, a theory that the vlogs validated.

Positioning the water bowl beside the O Sitter enabled me to monitor her water intake and determine when refills are needed.

While the image quality is not stellar, it is sufficient to make out what's happening. The camera switches to infrared mode at night, allowing for effective tracking of your cat's nocturnal activities.

When away from home, the O Sitter offers live camera streaming with full control over the viewing angle. A dedicated button prompts the camera to check the remaining food in the bowl, and even allows manual triggering of the food dispenser. The O Sitter also features two-way audio, enabling remote interaction with your pet.

Another notable feature is the laser play function. When activated, the O Sitter uses a red laser pointer to engage your cat in play, accompanied by sound effects like kitten mews. The camera tracks the laser's movement, ensuring you don't miss any of the action.

It's important to note that every cat has its unique personality. In my case, my cat is less active and often simply watches the O Sitter without engaging in play, although she does participate occasionally when in high spirits.

On occasions when privacy is desired, the O Sitter offers the option to disable the camera and tracking features on a schedule. In this mode, the 'head' of the device turns to face its body, providing a physical guarantee of privacy.

Diet changer

The O Sitter considerably lightened my load by taking over the regular task of refilling the food bowl. It has a built-in safeguard that ensures food is dispensed if none has been delivered in the past 12 hours. Remarkably, it also operates its basic features without requiring a power supply or internet connection.

In the span of two weeks, I observed noticeable changes in my cat's behaviors. Previously, I kept her bowl filled and refilled it whenever it was nearly empty, as her eating times were irregular and I didn't want her to go hungry. With the O Sitter, food is now dispensed four times a day in small quantities. Consequently, she now eats more regularly and finishes her meals before the next portion is dispensed, a routine that is healthier for her.

I also noticed that she now has a more regular bathroom schedule, which is a relief as I can better anticipate when to clean her litter box.

Looking forward, I'm excited to see how her habits continue to change as I've set the device to only dispense food during daylight hours. This schedule should allow me to spend more quality time with her when she's awake.

Powerful but still improvable

O Sitter shows its magic in my life with my cat. While the O Sitter has been a valuable addition to my household, there are a few shortcomings that need to be addressed.

Firstly, due to its algorithmic design and possibly hardware limitations, the O Sitter does not capture every moment of your pet's activities. This is most evident when the cat approaches the machine from the side - a blind spot. Fortunately, such misses are infrequent, and it still records most of my cat's activities.

The algorithm can also cause the camera to swivel and face the wall (I have placed the O Sitter against a wall). In these instances, the device temporarily loses sight of my cat. However, it usually corrects its positioning shortly afterwards.

Another issue lies in the occasional instability of the remote connection. There are times when I simply cannot connect to the O Sitter remotely. While this may be due to a complex network environment, including the configuration of proxy and routers, And it's challenging to troubleshoot the exact issue for users.

These issues saw improvement after a framework update, and I would also recommend to move the O Sitter to a better place, guiding cats to approve from a more ideal angle.

Conclusion

The O Sitter is a promising addition to the rapidly evolving market of smart pet care devices. Its blend of innovative features, thoughtful design, and user-friendly setup positions it as an attractive option for pet owners seeking to enhance their pets' wellbeing and their interaction with them.

While there are areas that require further improvement, notably the tracking algorithms and the intermittent connectivity issues, these shortcomings do not outweigh the benefits that the device offers. It's evident that the O Sitter brings immense potential to the table.

Given the device's ability to foster a healthier lifestyle for our pets and to enhance the bond between us, the O Sitter truly stands as a bridge connecting us more closely to our pets. Despite the few hurdles, I would still recommend the O Sitter to cat owners, as it is an impressive contender in the smart pet device market, consolidating essential pet care features into one nifty gadget.

O Sitter would be available initially in Northern American markets, with a 50% discount during the crowdfunding period, starting from $99.