The Litter-Robot 5 Pro, a high-end model from Whisker, promises to revolutionize pet care with its AI-powered features, but it falls short of expectations. The author, a cat owner, spent six months testing the Litter-Robot 5 Pro and its budget counterpart, the Litter-Robot Evo, alongside the Litter-Robot 4. While the Litter-Robot 5 Pro excels at its primary function of scooping waste, its AI features are a disappointment. The WasteID system, designed to differentiate between #1 and #2 litter and dispatch the latter faster, repeatedly failed to accurately identify waste. The dual camera system struggled to distinguish between the author's two distinct cats, merging them into two identical virtual pets. The camera's live view feature is limited, and the front-facing camera records visits, but the interior cameras only allow a live view, making it difficult to catch a cat in the act. The facial recognition feature, Cat ID, is unreliable, with the app struggling to distinguish between the author's two cats, despite the $29 RFID PetTag accessory. The AI's weight monitoring is also inaccurate, leading to incorrect weight assignments and false conclusions. The author had to manually reset weights and reassign visits, highlighting the need for human intervention. The AI's health monitoring is also lacking, with the WasteID system consistently failing to recognize waste type and provide accurate weights. The author's unit's feces-sensing gas sensor was also off, requiring remote correction. The company's response to these issues has been slow, with updates arriving months after the product's launch, leaving 5 Pro owners paying for features that didn't work. The author concludes that the Litter-Robot 5 Pro is a great gadget for its primary function, but the AI features are a work in progress, and the company's overconfidence in AI's capabilities has led to a disappointing experience. The author suggests saving money and opting for the regular Litter-Robot 5 or the Litter-Robot 4, which offer excellent performance without the AI drawbacks.
