The Spykee Spy Robot, a cool new project by the folks from Erector has the potential to be the next revolution in tank monitoring. It’s not enough to just have the latest whiz-bang internet-enabled aquarium controller, We need to know that the lights are on and the tank is fine. This is where Spykee comes in; this so-called toy is a WiFi controlled spy robot that “…moves, watches, hears, speaks and monitors…†from any internet connected computer in the world. On vacation and having some trouble with the tank? Since Spykee has both video and VoIP abilities, you can use Spykee to aim your web camera where you need to inspect your tank in many directions or you can walk your tank sitter through some of the quick fixes in real time. At work and want to make sure your kids aren’t coming in to play with Nemo? Spykee will detect any movement in the room, snap a picture and shoot it to you via email. Plus with the ability to play MP3’s, Spykee can keep you company during your tank maintenance, just pop in your favorite songs or podcast and work away. For just over $200, the Spykee could be a great Christmas gift for your kids that you could hijack and make your aquarium robot guard-dog. Realistically though, the technology is there are we have used piecemeal innovations to do tank cams and other remote monitoring solutions, it may be only a matter of time before a hi-tech robotic monitoring device is adopted widely in the hobby—it only makes sense.
Remote Robotics could be the next reef monitoring revolution
Jake Adams
Jake Adams has been an avid marine aquarist since the mid 90s and has worked in the retail side of the marine aquarium trade for more than ten years. He has a bachelor’s degree in Marine Science and has been the managing editor of ReefBuilders.com since 2008. Jake is interested in every facet of the marine aquarium hobby from the concepts to the technology, rare fish to exotic corals, and his interests are well documented through a very prolific career of speaking to reef clubs and marine aquarium events, and writing articles for aquarium publications across the globe. His primary interest is in corals which Jake pursues in the aquarium hobby as well as diving the coral reefs of the world.
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