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I’ve always dreamed of being able to play with my dog 2,000 miles away. Well, actually, that’s not true. But now that I know the technology exists to make this possible, I can’t believe I was living without it.
I first spotted the PePeHola smart dog toy while walking around CES The show floor, surrounded by the usual blur of screens, robots and wall-to-wall crowds.
Then a little rubber dog toy that looked like a hamster ball stopped me in my tracks.
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It was unassuming at first glance, but once I learned what it could do, it felt like a glimpse into a future where being away from home no longer meant being absent from my dog’s life. I was really amazed at how cool it was, not in a flashy technology display way, but in a quietly realistic way.
The interactive ball can be controlled via the PePeHola mobile app or Wi-Fi remote.
PePeHola allows you to play with your dog from anywhere with a Wi-Fi connected remote that brings the toy to life in real time. From across town or around the world, you can move and interact with a sturdy rubber toy that your dog can chase, chew, push and wrestle with. seriously. The demonstrator says she mainly works in China, but her two dogs stay at her home in Korea and she can easily play with them even though they are a few hours away by plane.
In the demonstration video I watched, a man sits in an office away from work, then grabs a PePeHola remote, clicks a few controls on it, and the toy rolls and rolls across the floor while the dog instantly lights up with excitement, reacting as if his human were there, teasing him with a toy. The ball can also be controlled through the PePeHola mobile app.
What surprised me most was how easy everything was. However, he is quite a genius. PePeHola has turned a simple dog toy into a bridge between busy schedules, long commutes, and the very real feeling of guilt of leaving a pet alone.
The PePeHola S1 interactive smart ball is still in beta testing and will soon be available on Kickstarter.
Experts from CNET, PCMag, Mashable, ZDNET, and Lifehacker debated for more than six hours to determine the best new products ever to come off the CES 2026 showroom. See all the winners and finalists here.