The Chinese startup Meng Xiaoyi has attracted widespread online attention after announcing the development of a smart collar that translates the sounds, feelings, and behaviors of cats and dogs into human language.
The Hangzhou-based company asserts that this device is not merely an entertainment application, but rather a cutting-edge technology based on artificial intelligence and behavioral data analysis.
The smart collar is based on Alibaba's Qwen linguistic artificial intelligence model, and it has been trained on huge databases of animal sound signatures and movement tracking.
According to the company, the device can detect more than 20 emotional states, such as hunger or the desire to play, with an accuracy of up to 95%, as it analyzes sounds and body movements in real time to convert them into understandable words.
The device weighs only about 27 grams and was launched at a price of 799 yuan (about $118). It has been very popular, with pre-orders exceeding 10,000 units in just a few days.
The company also succeeded in attracting investors who injected about $1 million in initial funding, reflecting strong business confidence in this promising field.
In contrast, the innovation faced widespread skepticism from experts and users, with some criticizing the lack of any scientific research or documented technical evidence to prove the accuracy of these translations, and others questioning the ability of artificial intelligence alone to accurately understand animal emotions.
Despite this division, many pet lovers see the idea as inspiring and opening new horizons for communicating with their animals.
