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LG Rolling Bot will monitor your home, freak out your pets (hands-on)

At this year's MWC, LG introduced the Rolling Bot, a mobile home monitoring device that can also play with your pet.

Ashlee Clark Thompson Associate Editor
Ashlee spent time as a newspaper reporter, AmeriCorps VISTA and an employee at a healthcare company before she landed at CNET. She loves to eat, write and watch "Golden Girls" (preferably all three at the same time). The first two hobbies help her out as an appliance reviewer. The last one makes her an asset to trivia teams. Ashlee also created the blog, AshleeEats.com, where she writes about casual dining in Louisville, Kentucky.
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Lynn La Senior Editor / Reviews - Phones
Lynn La covers mobile reviews and news. She previously wrote for The Sacramento Bee, Macworld and The Global Post.
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Ashlee Clark Thompson
Lynn La

LG has wrapped up home monitoring and pet entertainment all into one cute ball. The manufacturer debuted its Rolling Bot this week at the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona.

The bot is a hybrid security system/smart-home device/pet toy that's not unlike a Sphero BB-8 toy with a more serious feature set. At its core, it's a mobile home monitor: you can remotely control this ball-shaped device through your phone and receive video and audio footage of what's happening while you're away from your house. The bot can also connect and interact with other smart-home devices, such as your TV and lights, through Bluetooth and your home's Wi-Fi network.

But the most fun part of the bot is its pet-friendly features. The pet mode lets you to talk to your pet through the device's speakers, and it will even dance and fire a laser pointer to keep your dog or cat stimulated.

Pricing and availability for the Rolling Bot have yet to be announced.

LG channels Star Wars with its cute BB-8-esque bot (pictures)

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Features

  • Has camera, infrared sensor, mic, speaker, and a laser
  • Can communicate with people/pets inside house with mic and speakers through your phone
  • Can interact with non-LG smart-home devices
  • Connects to Wi­-Fi and Bluetooth

Follow the rest of our MWC 2016 coverage here.