Welcome to Unbox’s “Viral Fridays” where we feature weirder than usual tech and geek related news to cap out the week.
Count on good ol’ Japan to create fancy technology that’s actually useful for everyday life. Inupathy – a portmanteau of the Japanese word for dog, “inu” and the suffix “pathy” – is the world’s first “mental visualizer for dogs”. Created by dog enthusiast Joji Yamaguchi with his co-founder, Akane the corgi, Inupathy aims to revolutionize the bond between humans and their canine compadres. Wowza.
The Inupathy allows dog owners to “read” into their dog’s moods through heart rate monitoring. Through a patented algorithm called the “Heart Rate Variation”, the collar estimates the pet’s emotions through pattern analysis. The Inupathy’s LED display will show certain colors depending on the pet’s emotions.
Aside from tracking the dog’s health data and emotional metrics, Inupathy also features a “Play Mode” where the owner and their dog can engage in fun games. A partner cloud service allows Inupathy users to collaborate with fellow dog enthusiasts and share their experiences with the technology.
The Inupathy smart collar is set for launch by the end of 2016, with prices starting at $149 (~Php 8K). Here’s hoping they make one for felines soon.
