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A few things that interest me - Stories
Some additional contextualization for some of the stories.
Bowlingual is a product that was developed by Takara, a Japanese toy company, in the early 2000s. The device is designed to interpret and translate dog barks into human language.
The goal of Bowlingual was to help dog owners better understand their pets' emotions and needs by analyzing the different types of barks and matching them to predefined phrases in the device's database. Bowlingual consisted of two components: a microphone that attached to the dog's collar and a handheld receiver with an LCD display. When the dog barked, the microphone would pick up the sound, and the receiver would display the interpreted message in human language.
While Bowlingual received significant media attention and generated curiosity among dog owners, it was met with mixed reviews regarding its accuracy and effectiveness in truly translating dog barks into meaningful human language. The interpretation was based on patterns and algorithms, which might not always accurately capture the dog's intent or emotions.
Here's a simplified, user-friendly description of how it worked:
Bark Detection: The Bowlingual device would be attached to the dog's collar, and it had a built-in microphone to detect the dog's barks.
Sound Analysis: When the dog barked, the device would capture and analyze the sound of the bark.
Pattern Recognition: The device was programmed with a database of pre-recorded dog barks and corresponding phrases in human language. These phrases were meant to represent different emotions or needs that a dog might have.
Matching Barks to Phrases: The Bowlingual used pattern recognition algorithms to match the recorded bark to the closest-matching bark in its database. Displaying the Interpretation: Once the device found the best-matching bark in its database, it would display the corresponding human language phrase on its handheld receiver with an LCD display.
Human Interpretation: The user would then read the displayed phrase, which was meant to provide an interpretation of what the device believed the dog might be expressing.
It's important to note that while the device aimed to translate dog barks into human language, the accuracy of such translation was not scientifically proven. The interpretations were based on patterns and associations programmed into the device's database, which may not always reflect the true emotions or intentions of the dog accurately. As a result, while Bowlingual was a fun and intriguing gadget for dog owners, its interpretations had to be taken with a grain of salt.
Barry Kipperman, DVM, DACVIM, MSc, DACAW Board President – MightyVet, retired from Veterinary practice after 33 years, and now devotes his time to animal welfare and ethics. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, and MightyVet. He teaches veterinary ethics at the University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, and animal welfare and ethics for the University of Missouri.
Danya Linehan is a Distance Learning Instructor and Veterinarian at Stautzenberger College where she is she is the lead instructor for the online animal welfare management program. She is a part-time shelter veterinarian at the Cat Welfare Association. At Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice, she helps pets at the end of life transition peacefully in their homes. Danya also operates her own small non-profit organization, Felines in Need.
Danya's husband, Mike Parks, unfortunately passed away in 2018