By Anthony Marcusa / Source: Ecorazzi

From the laboratories in Melbourne University comes a bold, exciting, and also perhaps unsettling prediction about the way in which humans interact with animals in the future.

In a study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, Dr. Jean-Loup Rault, a researcher of animal welfare, says that robot pets may find popularity and success in as soon as ten years.

“There’s anecdotal evidence and a few studies that show people actually develop a bond, some kind of emotional attachment to those robots,” Dr Rault said. “They know it’s not a live pet, they don’t consider it as a live animal but they also don’t consider it a mere object.”

It seems that people are responsive to such creations, and there are also instances of robotic animals aiding the infirmed. For example, in the United States, robotic baby seals have been used to help people with Alzheimer’s. Elsewhere, robots cats have shown an ability to reduce agitation in those suffering from dementia.

“Maybe you have a dog that stays at home when you’re at work so you buy it a robotic companion, so it interacts with it when you’re gone and it keeps it company,” says Rault.

What’s more is the thought, and hope, that robot pets will help those living in places where real pets aren’t welcome or easy to take care of. As the human population grows and cities become denser, Rault posits, robotic pets will be more conducive to high rise apartments and congested urban areas.

“Efforts to develop cities designed to be green and pet-friendly are ongoing,” wrtes Rault. “However, a more realistic future is that pets may become a luxury possession for people who can afford to sustain their cost and fulfill their needs in terms of space, social, and mental needs according to possibly higher ethical standards raised by future societies

While there seem to be positives, the question arises as to whether or not people adopting robotic pets, which presumably take less work than real ones, means that animals in need of homes will be disregarded. Will the robot pet create new potential owners, or take from the pool of those considering real life pets?

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