Help people understand dogs

Japanese inventors have just announced devices that can identify dogs' emotions and wills through barks.

The Bowlingual Voice, created by toy company Takara Tomy, is able to analyze the sounds that dogs emit and convert them into human language. The product includes a microphone (for dog collars) and a handheld device. Currently, Bowlingual Voice only focuses on 6 types of emotions, including sad, happy and angry. The inventor team also included this device with many familiar phrases, such as ' playing with me ', ' I'm hungry ' or ' I'm sleepy '.

The Bowlingual Voice has the function of sounding and displaying text on the screen to inform the dog's will. (Photo: AFP)

When the dog barks, the microphone (built-in wi-fi transmitter) records audio and transmits data to the Bowlingual Voice. The device will identify the dog's message through data. A software that synthesizes speech sounds to inform the dog's message. The message also appears in writing on the device screen. The automatic answering function can record the dog's will when the user is away from home or not holding the device.

Seven years ago Takara Tomy launched the bark translation device called Bowlingual. This device has no pronunciation function but only converts the emotional state of the dog into words on the screen. More than 300,000 Bowlingual versions have been purchased during the first production. Bowling Voice is an upgraded version of Bowlingual. The new product will appear on the Japanese market from next month for $ 180.