Pet cameras are a great addition to the household to make sure your pets are exactly where they need to be if you need to duck out of the house for a few hours or go for a quick run to the shops. But there are always blind spots that these cameras can’t always catch.
The Enabot ROLA Mini Companion Robot is a movable robot camera that makes it much easier to find these blind spots and helps pet owners worry less about where their pets could be.
Design
The Enabot ROLA Mini Companion Robot is small and compact. The main “face” of the robot features a 2K camera, sensor, and status indicator. The expression lights on the robot can “blink” and act as the “eyes”, which makes the robot feel more like another pet of some sort, rather than just a piece of technology.
The wheels are covered in a removable rubber layer (with embedded paw prints), that removes the stress of potential floor damage, and makes cleaning easier.
There’s also a mic that sits on top of the robot, and speakers on the back, for two-way communication.
Performance
Since my dogs are small miniature dachshunds, and the robot was almost the same size as them, it did take them a little bit to get used to. That being said, it didn’t take away from the quality of the Enabot ROLA Mini Companion Robot and only proved to me that it was a great product.
Due to the natural curiosity of dogs, my pets would end up putting their noses right into the camera and knocking the robot from time to time. That being said, the robot was durable and was quite sturdy through all these instances, and was still able to function normally.
The ease of movement through the remote controls was fantastic, with the app even providing an option to change the formatting of where the front and back controls, and the left and right controls, were placed on the screen. We were also able to change the speed of the robot. The only issue I had was that it wasn’t able to fully climb elevated surfaces, getting stuck in front of these surfaces a few times.
A mic and speakers on the robot also made two-way communication quite easy. The sound quality is incredibly clear, with very few delays.
We were able to play with our pets through the options of “skills” in the app. These set “skills” make the Enabot ROLA Mini Companion Robot move in varying directions such as a straight line, a figure eight, a big circle, and heaps more, all at the touch of a button. There are even options to play sounds to engage pets, such as, kittens meowing, purring, ducks quacking, wolves howling, and many more.
The battery life is also spectacular, lasting around three weeks before charging it for the first time.
Software
To use the Enabot ROLA Mini Companion Robot, the ROLA app needs to be downloaded to your smart device and connected to Wi-Fi. It was very easy to set up, and just required the camera to scan a QR code before starting up. As soon as it was up and running, it greeted us and the dogs with a cute “ROLA hi!” and also said goodbye with a sweet “ROLA bye!” when turning the device off.
The app acts as the main control and the viewfinder to see where your pets are and has heaps of features to keep a watchful eye on your pet at any time, while keeping your pet entertained.
While you’re away, there are options on the screen to take photos, record videos, and speak to your pets wherever you are. Pet owners are even able to use these features in the dark, with an option to use night mode.
There’s also a handy indicator for the battery life of the robot, and how strong the Wi-Fi connection is.
Verdict & Value
I had no issues using the Enabot ROLA Mini Companion Robot.
It did exactly what it needed to do, and is a great way to keep an eye on pets that could be hiding in the corner.
FOUR AND A HALF (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Amazing way to keep an eye on your pets no matter where they are.
Lowlights: If you have small pets, it might take a bit of time for them to get used to it; The robot wasn’t able to surpass elevated surfaces.
Manufacturer: Enabot
Price: A$198
Available: Now
Review based on unit supplied by Enabot and is available via the official Enabot website.
