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Today’s consumers expect their robot pets to be almost as good as the “robots” they see in 3D movies and games, and designers are working to provide entertaining and realistic gadgets that respond to human interaction in ever more nuanced ways, mimicking the behavior of real pets.

Building fully autonomous artificial creatures with intelligence similar to humans has been a long-term goal of robot design and computer science. On the road to creating such machines, consumers have enjoyed technological developments like the Tamagotchi digital pet, domestic toy robots like Aibo the robotic dog, and even Roomba, the robotic vacuum cleaner.

New design approach to robotics
Researchers in Taiwan are now looking at a new design paradigm that could see the development of a robot vision module that might one-day recognize human facial expressions and respond appropriately. The scientists have turned to neural networks to help them break the cycle of repetitive behavior in robot toys and to endow robots with an almost emotional-like response to their human interactions.

Scientists hope to adopt a behavior-based architecture approach – using a neural network – that could allow the owner of a robot pet to reconfigure the device to “learn,” or evolve new behavior, and at the same time ensure that the robot pet functions properly in real time.

In the meantime, similar to the Japanese company’s turn-of-the century Tamagotchi digital pet, Bandai recently unveiled the SmartPet which features the robotic body of a dog with the face of an iPhone. Users download a Smart Pet app that transforms their iPhone or iPod touch into the dog’s face and brain. The animated robotic dog will recognize its “owner” and can do more than one hundred tricks.

Robopets increasingly popular
Looking more like a stuffed animal than a robot, “Paro” takes the form of a soft, furry baby harp seal, and studies show it helps reduce stress for hospital and nursing home patients. Paro has five different sensors that allow it to perceive people, and varying emotions and environments. It also recognizes voice direction – responding to different names, greetings and praise.

Paro has been in use in Japan and throughout Europe since 2003, and was introduced to the U.S. in 2008, with the majority sold to individuals as a pet substitute, while 20 percent have been sold to nursing homes and schools.

Countless research teams across the globe are currently working on vision modules for robots. The technique is not yet fully mature, but ultimately one day they may build a robot pet that will recognize its owner’s facial expressions and perhaps respond accordingly. Once Rover and Kitty are replaced by robots, it’s only logical to assume humans are next.

Luckily, many tenants and landlords share the same perspective: a beloved pet is considered part of the family. However, landlords have invested lots of time and money into maintaining their property, and it’s up to you, the tenant, to prove that you and your pet can be entrusted with their property.

Past horror stories include landlords spending hundreds or thousands of dollars to repair damage caused by tenants’ pets – from scratched and damaged doors and baseboards to urine-soaked carpeting, not to mention dealing with complaints from other tenants about pet noise like barking (and even chirping from birds), to smells, messes, and general bad pet behaviour.

So, during your apartment hunt, it will help to keep in mind a ‘win-win’ scenario: your landlord is looking for a reliable, solvent, considerate, mature tenant – which describes the majority of responsible pet owners – and you’re looking for a pet-friendly, clean, quiet and well-maintained home. If you focus on that goal and put yourself in your landlord’s shoes, your odds of successfully finding pet-friendly accommodation will increase.

One of the best things you can do is be up front with a potential landlord, and bring your pet along when you view the rental home, especially if it’s a dog. Get references from your last couple of landlords, since an endorsement of your pet’s good behaviour can go a long way to opening the door to a new home.

Proof of your pet’s medical care and good behaviour doesn’t hurt. By providing relevant paperwork, your potential landlord will see that you are a responsible pet owner. Show proof that your pet has been spayed or neutered, recently vaccinated, and note any obedience or socialization classes.

The documentation, along with meeting and observing your pet in person, should help your landlord feel confident about renting to you. As a show of good faith, you can also offer to pay a refundable damage deposit of not more than half the rent – just be sure to get it all in writing and get a separate receipt.

Legally speaking, tenancy law around pets are similar from province to province. When you see common rental ad lingo like “No Smoking/No Pets,” Canada Mortgage and Housing Association website shows, for example, that Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act states that “A landlord cannot evict a tenant because they have a pet in violation of a "no pets" clause in the lease. The RTA does not address smoking. However, a landlord may have grounds to evict a tenant, either for having a pet or for smoking, if the pet or smoke damages the property or bothers other tenants.”

Typically, if a tenant has a pet even though the lease says ‘no pets allowed,’ the landlord cannot legally evict tenants just for having a pet. However, if the pet is making too much noise, damaging the unit, causing an allergic reaction, or the animal or species is considered to be inherently dangerous then the landlord can apply to evict a tenant.

Pet owners make good long-term tenants, and if we put ourselves in the landlord’s shoes, we can help make it easy to show ourselves as the attractive tenants that we are.

Do you have any stories and tips about finding rental accommodation with a pet? Or perhaps you’re a landlord who has a few pointers to give to prospective tenants?