Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

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

Posted by BeauHD on from the animal-friendly dept.

"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.

7 of 122 comments (clear)

  1. Spay and neuter by smooth+wombat · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

    --
    We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
    1. Re:Spay and neuter by thomn8r · · Score: 2

      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.

      For the record, I've never seen mice toss dogs/cats/puppies/kittens into the wild - for any reason.

    2. Re:Spay and neuter by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Insightful

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

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  2. Soooo... by QuietLagoon · · Score: 2

    ... using the acronym "AI" seems to be the go to click-bait method nowadays. Anyone want to guess how long before the use of the acronym "AI" becomes passe? At the current rate of usage, I'd give it two years, tops.

  3. Doing it the hard way by bigdavex · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Wouldn't a small door do the trick?

    --
    -Dave
  4. Re:Too many damn cats by ctilsie242 · · Score: 2

    Around where I live, I've done a TNR initiative which has worked well. Live trap the cats, get them spayed/neutered and checked out for medical conditions by a vet, then release them back. This has kept the stray cat population stable, especially when a cat with FIV or another disease is removed and can't infect other animals.

  5. Organize a caravan by tomhath · · Score: 2

    Lead the homeless to the southern border. I'm sure Mexico would let them in without passports or visas and care for them. Or maybe not, because countries generally don't allow people to cross their borders without following immigration procedures, do they?