As Japan's population ages and birth rates decline, pets have become an increasingly vital part of many households. According to the Japan Pet Food Association, there were nearly 16 million pet cats and dogs, a number that exceeded the population of children under 15 in the country last year. This shift has spurred advancements in pet care technology, helping owners ensure the well-being of their pets.
To meet this growing need, the UK-based health tech startup Carelogy, in collaboration with researchers at Nihon University, has introduced an AI-driven smartphone application called CatsMe!. This app helps pet owners monitor their cats' health by detecting signs of pain, thereby reducing the need for frequent and stressful visits to the veterinarian.
The process is simple: pet owners upload a photo of their cats, and the AI analyzes the cats' facial expression, categorizing the likelihood of pain into three levels: none, slight or severe.
Since its launch last year, CatsMe! has attracted over 230,000 users. The AI, trained on 6,000 pictures of cats, is reportedly more than 95 percent accurate, and developers anticipate further improvements as the system learns from more feline faces.
Reference(s):
How AI apps help Japanese pet owners monitor their cats' health
cgtn.com