Built in Chicago features alumni's autonomous robot friend for cats

Built In Chicago is shining a spotlight on a team of ECE ILLINOIS alumni who have created autonomous robot-mouse friends for your cats. Stemming from their graduate research, co-founders Dave Cohen (MSEE '13), David Jun (PhD '14), and Michael Friedman (MSEE '13) founded a company called Petronics to develop their product, "Mousr," which is essentially a self-driving car that can fit in the palm of your hand. 

According to an interview with Built In Chicago, Cohen stated that "If there's one certainty about cats, it's that hiding things really attracts them. Most cats, most of the time, will look kind of bored when they see can see our robot. But as soon as they can't, they'll instantly go after it."

The Mousr adapts to its surroundings, capable of freeing itself from tight spaces and gauging the cat's reaction to decide whether to escape the cat or attract the attention of a cat. 

In the future, the technology developed by Petronics can be used for personal assistants, security patrols, and check-ins for elderly family members and children. As Friedman puts it, "Making personal assistants small, mobile, and affordable will unlock new opportunities to bring convenience to more households without getting in the way."

Read more about Petronics at Built in Chicago and check out previous ECE ILLINOIS articles on Petronics, their founders, and the Mousr.