Chinese startup Meng Xiaoyi’s specialists have developed a device named PettiChat, also known as Pet Translator. It’s quite portable, weighing under 30 grams, and its creators claim it boasts a 94.6 percent accuracy in translating the barks, whimpers, and growls of dogs, as well as the meows, purrs, and hisses of cats, into human language.
This “translator” attaches to a pet’s collar and interprets any vocalization from either a cat or a dog within 1.2 seconds, effectively “translating” their communications. It understands the specific intent behind their sounds. The “translation” isn’t audible; instead, it’s sent directly to the owner’s smartphone.
The developers explain that the high accuracy of this translation is attributed to the artificial intelligence (AI) embedded in the device. This AI has been trained on millions of so-called “fingerprints”—samples of meows, barks, and other sounds pets produce. Despite seeming similar, these vocalizations subtly vary in tone, frequency, duration, and emotional coloring. Collectively, these elements convey a pet’s distinct desires. The AI “translator” determines the accuracy of its interpretation by comparing the “heard” sound against established behavioral patterns and templates, for which the corresponding meanings are known with considerable precision.
However, zoologists are not entirely convinced by the “capabilities” of the Pet Translator because Meng Xiaoyi has not published any research findings or experimental results in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In other words, the claimed performance metrics remain scientifically unverified. Furthermore, pets themselves, naturally, cannot send a smartphone message confirming that the “translator” has understood them correctly. Additionally, particularly with dogs, a single bark can be emitted whether they spot a cat outside or drop a favorite toy. Consequently, the “translation” could be identical – for example, conveying “I’m anxious.”
Nevertheless, the “translator,” due to its AI, is expected to gradually adapt to individual pets, leading to progressively more accurate interpretations. Future models are purportedly slated to support reverse translation, from human to pet.
“Translator” Accurately Interprets Pet Vocalizations
One can envision a near-future scenario: a dog barks at a cat, which doesn’t understand. The device “translates” the bark for the owner, and then “translates” human language into feline. Everyone understands each other.
The British newspaper Daily Mail, which briefly covered PettiChat, shared a reader’s comment. A cat owner expressed her eagerness for the device to potentially reveal if her cat truly loves her or is merely motivated by food. She also wanted to know the answer. For such insights, she deemed the “translator,” priced at approximately 10,000 rubles (in our currency), a worthwhile purchase.
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