Would you ever consider getting a dog poop robot?
We dog owners may love our dogs, but we don’t love the mess that comes with having one in our lives. Aside from always being covered in fur (because who can say no to puppy hugs?), we have to pick up dog poop at least twice a day. It’s not the most unpleasant chore, but it’s not like we’re thrilled about having to pick up dog poop with our hands and a plastic or paper bag.
That’s where pooper scoopers come in. If you somehow haven’t heard of one before, a pooper scooper is a tool that lets you pick up dog poop without having to touch it with only a bag as your shield of defense. But apparently, that wasn’t enough because companies Beetl Robotics has come up with the ultimate dog owner’s best friend: a dog poop robot.
Beetl Robotics’ Robotic Pooper Scooper
Beetl Robotics’ Robotic Pooper Scooper is exactly what it sounds like: a robot designed to pick up your dog’s poop for you. The robot, which is called the Beetl, has been described as a Roomba for dog poop.
Like the Roomba, it’s an autonomous machine that can be sent out to clean your yard on its own. It’s battery-powered and comes with a dock for charging. You won’t have to touch the dirty poop-carrying Beetl if needs a charge either since it can dock itself once its battery is low.
How Does the Robotic Pooper Scooper Work
The Beetl dog poop robot doesn’t need a remote to be operated. It uses its front camera to detect the parameter of your backyard and get a sense of how large it is. This helps it figure out distances between objects which is handy since its job is picking up objects that shouldn’t be on your lawn.
The dog poop robot connects to the cloud which then helps it process images it sees in its environment, meaning that it can’t work without internet access.
Once the robot detects poop in its surrounding area, it rolls over to it and lowers its claw mechanism on top of the poop. The claw then closes on the poop and lifts it into the machine where it will be bagged and stored for disposal.
Okay, But Is the Robo Poop Picker Actually Worth the Hype?
While the Beetl dog poop robot sounds pretty neat on paper, it’s admittedly a one-trick pony with limited usefulness.
While the more popular Roomba is functionally similar, what sets the Roomba apart is that houses always need to be swept or vacuumed. Given how small those dust and dirt particles are and how much floor space there is in a house, it would be tedious to keep doing it manually. The Roomba is appealing and practical because it takes care of a task that you can’t really finish in 2 minutes tops.
The same can’t be said of the Beetl. Unless you have several dogs, buying the Beetl means buying a robot for just one dog that poops around twice a day. It’s not exactly a must-have home gadget.
That said, whether it’s worth it is ultimately up to you and your situation. The Beetl’s price may just be worth it to you because you really hate picking up dog poop. If you happen to be or know a disabled person who needs the Beetl in their life, it’s definitely a worthwhile purchase. For similar reasons, it’s also a great home gadget for seniors with dogs.
Cost Effective Poop Scoopers That Don’t Need Batteries
If the Beetl dog poop robot isn’t worth it for you but you still don’t like the thought of having to manually pick up dog poop with your hand, these pooper scoopers are here to save the day. They combine the best features of both manual dog poop scooping and a dog poop robot by keeping you away from the line of action without needing any batteries to run.
1. UPSKY Pooper Scooper
The Upsky Pooper Scooper is a folding dog poop scooper designed for use on poops made by small and large dogs alike. It uses the same claw mechanism that the Beetl has inside its bottom compartment so you’re basically getting a non-electric Beetl.
Another key advantage it has over the Beetl dog poop robot is the fact that you can fold it in half for easy storage. Unlike the Beetl, not only will you not need any internet access to use this, but it’s also easier to bring on trips with your dog.
2. Balhvit Dog Pooper Scooper
The Balhvit Dog Pooper Scooper is a little more traditional than the earlier pooper scooper. It’s designed like other lawn tools, namely a rake and a shovel, to help you scoop up dog poop no matter how mushy it is.
While that sounds completely disgusting, think of how much ickier it would be to clean up without a tool like this.
3. GoGo Stik Totally Clean Pooper Scooper
The GoGo Stik Totally Clean Pooper Scooper is the lazy dog owner’s perfect dog poop scooper. Now, you’ll be sacrificing a lot of maneuverability if you pick this pooper scooper since the earlier two are easier to use, but on the bright side, you won’t really need to rinse it because the poop scooper functions like a net for poop while keeping the scooper’s lower half covered from poop.
