While I prefer to walk my dogs, there have been times when the weather has been bad, or I’m just too tired at the end of the day, and they end up pooping in the yard. If you let your dog do its business on your lawn, then this new invention could be a godsend.

The Beetl is a fully-autonomous robot that drives around your yard, looking for piles of poop. It then scoops them up into a container for easy and clean disposal. The robot uses computer vision to detect piles of dog doo, as well as to avoid obstacles. It can also be programmed to work strictly within the boundaries of your lawn.

The idea is kind of nifty, but I’m concerned about how to keep its claw and mechanism clean. If you’ve ever had to clean a robotic cat litter box, you know what I’m talking about.

 At this point, The Beetl is still in the prototype stage, but the guys behind it hope to put it into production at some point. They also are contemplating a version of Beetl that can mow your lawn after it picks up said poop.

Via Tecnabob.com