Collar that 'translates' dogs' barks in development

A South Korean company is developing a dog collar that translates barks.

Yep, if you've ever dreamed of pulling a Dr. Doolittle and chatting to your dog, that could soon become a reality, as Petpuls is developing a collar that uses voice recognition to translate barks.

Check it out:

The collar is said to help analyse your dog's emotional state, letting you know whether your four-legged friend is happy, sad, or angry.

The CEO of Petpuls Labs,. Stella Jang, said the newfound knowledge would be welcomed by dog owners everywhere: "Many dog owners are unable to be with their dogs all the time. We created Petpuls to give dog owners a holistic view into their dog’s behaviour and activity throughout the day.

"We spend so much time with our dogs and lavish affection on them that we think we know how they really feel. In reality, we often miss small changes, which can provide substantially more meaning and insight into a dog’s health and well-being when viewed over time."

If you're wondering how on earth the company is developing the collar, well they've used 10,000 bark samples from 50 dog breeds to create a collar at the top of our wish list.

It took around three years to create the AI programme that helps the product run.

While you have to be within a range of 15 feet for the product to work, who really wants to be further than that from their dog?

And, testing conducted on the product from Seoul National University places the product's emotional recognition accuracy rate at around 80 percent.

So, what exactly can the new product tell you about your dog? Well, according to some enthusiastic Twitter users: "You can determine 5 emotional states of your dog – relaxed, anxious, angry, sad or happy."

Another thrilled user added: "Petpuls has finally brought Dug from Up to real life with their #AI powered #dog #collar that analyses your pup's barks!"

Essentially, you can live your dream of having Dug from Up as your sidekick.

And you won't have to wait long to get your hands on the product with, Stella adding: "We’re thrilled to start shipping Petpuls to US dog owners so they can identify changes in their dog’s behaviour and activity and provide proactive, personalised care for their furry best friend."

The product is set to retail at $99 for small collars and $108 for larger collars.

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Topics: Animals, Technology

Shola Lee

Shola Lee began her journalism career while studying for her undergraduate degree at Queen Mary, University of London and Columbia University in New York. She has written for the Columbia Spectator, QM Global Bloggers, CUB Magazine, UniDays, and Warner Brothers' Wizarding World Digital. Recently, Shola took part in the 2021 BAFTA Crew and BBC New Creatives programme before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news, trending stories, and features.