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For dog owners, one of the hardest things to do is to leave the house, knowing that their furry friend is going to miss them.
But San Diego high school senior Cassidy Matwiyoff figured out a solution to keep pups from pining pathetically when their owners have to leave. Meet the "Bow Wow," a robot Matwiyoff designed to keep dogs company.
"I thought, 'What problem can I solve in this world?' and I looked at my dog who's always sad when we're home alone," Matwiyoff told KGTV.
She says that the robot will first attract the dog's attention by dropping a treat. After a pause, to give the dog enough time to get to the treat, the Bow Wow will start petting the pup. The device looks kind of like a large, white, ice cream cone, with a petting arm sticking out.
She told the Del Mar Times that she got the idea while watching Shark Tank.
"I thought, 'Wouldn't it be so nice to be on Shark Tank one day and experience that true passion of an entrepreneur taking an idea and putting it into a project and bringing it to life?'" Matwiyoff told the outlet.
She made sure that no such device already existed, and filed for a patent, according to KGTV, and even worked on a four-year business plan to get the Bow Wow off the ground.
She tested out her idea while volunteering at the Helen Woodward Animal Center in San Diego, petting different dogs with a glove on a stick, KGTV reported. Though puppies didn't seem interested, most dogs older than 1-year-old enjoyed the attention, even if it wasn't from an actual flesh-and-blood human hand.
After designing a prototype, she pitched her idea to the Capstone Design and Engineering program at Chico State, according to KGTV. That program solicits ideas from the public, and the best ideas are worked on by the students to bring into the real world—and, of course, Matwiyoff got the nod.
"The next step in this after we finish the final design is to seek investor funding so we can actually bring this to market," Matwiyoff told the Del Mar Times.
Though it doesn't seem like Matwiyoff has found any investors yet, it's likely just a matter of time. In the meantime, though, she's headed to college—in particular, the University of Alabama Honors College, where the Del Mar Times says she plans to do a double major in political science and premedical studies.
She told the outlet that though she knows college is tough, she's hoping to be able to be a student at the same time as being an entrepreneur.
"It was a really unique opportunity of getting an appreciation for all that's out there and the opportunities on the horizon," Matwiyoff told the paper.
Newsweek reached out to Matwiyoff for comment.
About the writer
Matt Keeley is a Newsweek editor based in Seattle. His focus is reporting on trends and internet culture. He has ... Read more