The Maneki-neko, a common Japanese figurine known as the “beckoning cat,” is widely believed to bring good luck to its owner. It is not only popular in Japan but also seen in shops and houses around the world.
In Japan, cat owners invest a significant amount of money in the care of their feline companions and go to great lengths to ensure their well-being. It is important for them to understand how their cats are feeling and whether they are experiencing any discomfort.
To assist cat owners in this regard, a tech firm based in Tokyo and a university have collaborated to develop an app that can detect signs of pain in cats. The app has been trained on hundreds of cat images and provides information to owners about their pet’s well-being. Since its launch last month, the “Cat Pain Detector” app has gained 43,000 users, primarily in Japan, but also in Europe and South America.
The app is part of a growing trend of technology aimed at pet owners who are concerned about the health of their animals. Similar apps, including mood and pain trackers, have been developed in Canada and Israel.
Carelogy and Nihon University’s College of Bioresource Sciences collected 6,000 cat pictures and closely examined various features such as the posture of the ears, noses, whiskers, and eyelids. They used a grading system developed by the University of Montreal to distinguish between healthy cats and those experiencing pain due to difficult-to-diagnose conditions.
Using an AI detection system, the developers incorporated the collected information into the app. Users also uploaded around 600,000 photos to assist in refining the AI’s accuracy. According to Go Sakioka, the head of developer Carelogy, the app has achieved an accuracy level of over 90 percent.
The aim of the app is to help cat owners make informed decisions about whether to seek veterinary care for their cats without leaving their homes. While some veterinarians in Japan are already using the “Cat Pain Detector” app, Sakioka acknowledges that further improvements are needed before it can be considered a standardized tool.
Japan, known for its love of cats, with attractions like cat cafes and islands populated by stray felines, provides a fitting environment for the app’s use. However, Sakioka emphasizes the need for the AI system to become more precise before widespread implementation can occur.
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