Smart Cat Shelter Uses AI To Let Strays Inside, Keep Dogs Out (mashable.com)

"China's top search engine company Baidu made a smart cat shelter in Beijing that uses AI to verify when a cat is approaching and open its door," writes Slashdot reader AmiMoJo. "The cat shelter is heated and also offers cats food and water." Mashable reports: It can accurately identify 174 different cat breeds, as to let them enter and exit as they please. A door will slide open if the camera spots a cat, but it won't work on dogs. Multiple cats can fit inside the space. Another neat camera feature is that it can be also used to detect if the cat is sick -- it can identify four common cat diseases, such as inflammation, skin problems, and physical trauma. Once a cat is identified as needing care, associated volunteers can be informed to come and collect it. "Homeless cats often struggle to survive the winter in Beijing, and even though volunteers feed them their water bowls freeze over in the cold," adds AmiMoJo. "Due to many people living in apartments that don't allow pets, they can't simply bring the cats home."

Baidu has a blog post detailing the shelter and its use of artificial intelligence.

Comments

Spay and neuter

[smooth wombat]

This is why you spay and neuter dogs and cats (among other reasons). Unfortunately, cultural reasons in many countries prevent this from happening, along with ignorance.

Of course if the smartest animal on the planet wouldn't simply toss dogs and cats, and puppies and kittens, into the wild because it didn't want to care for them, this wouldn't be an issue.

Re:Spay and neuter

[Anonymous Coward]

Do not pretend that culture is separate and apart from ignorance. There are cultures that are founded upon ignorance, for example Islamic culture which treats women like property. That's not due to "culture along with ignorance," it is a "culture of ignorance."

I do a lot of animal rescue work in the south and let me tell you a little more about the culture of ignorance. The #1 reason people don't spay or neuter pets in the south is because of the culture of ignorance and the anthropomorphism of animals. I can't tell you how many times some redneck has scoffed at the idea of neutering his dog, saying something to the effect of, "I wouldn't want someone cutting my balls off, so I'm not cutting my dog's balls off."

Stupid. Just monumentally stupid. That is the culture here. It is an ignorant culture. It's not "culture along with ignorance."

Re:Spay and neuter

[Opportunist]

Don't be so exclusive, Christianity and Judaism are just as good at being based on ignorance and misogyny.