Whisker’s Litter-Robot 5 Pro AI features fail in Verge review
A six-month test of the $899 device reveals significant flaws in facial recognition and waste identification, undermining its value proposition despite strong mechanical performance.
A review published by The Verge has cast doubt on the efficacy of artificial intelligence in consumer pet technology, highlighting significant failures in Whisker’s Litter-Robot 5 Pro. The $899 device, marketed as an AI-powered automatic litter box, was found to perform reliably as a mechanical waste scooper but struggled extensively with its advertised smart features, including facial recognition and health monitoring.
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, the reviewer, spent six months testing the unit alongside Whisker’s budget Litter-Robot Evo. While the 5 Pro successfully automated waste disposal and maintained quiet operation, its core AI capabilities proved inconsistent. The system’s “Cat ID” facial recognition failed to distinguish between two visually distinct cats, eventually merging their profiles into identical entries. This error led to incorrect weight tracking, with one cat’s mass recorded as that of another, persisting for a week despite the $8 monthly subscription fee.
The device’s “WasteID” system, designed to differentiate between urine and faeces to optimise odour control, also repeatedly misidentified waste types. Whisker attributed some of these data errors to hardware calibration issues on the specific unit reviewed, including a faulty gas sensor and scale, which were partially corrected remotely. However, the AI features remained unreliable even after these adjustments.
Interior cameras on the 5 Pro were limited to live viewing, making it difficult to capture cats in the act of using the box, contrary to advertising implications. A new “Patterns” feature, which summarises daily activity, was rolled out months after launch and still lacked specific details on waste type. The reviewer noted that the subscription service provided no actionable health insights during the testing period.
Given the premium price and underwhelming AI performance, the review recommends alternative models. The $799 Litter-Robot 5, which lacks cameras but retains WasteID, or the $699 Litter-Robot 4 were suggested as better value options. The $599 Litter-Robot Evo was criticised for flimsier build quality and a finicky waste drawer, making it less desirable than its predecessors.
