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Because sometimes it can be really ruff understanding all those “barks” and “woofs.”

Since the dawn of humankind, we have yearned to communicate with our furry friends. If only they could talk to us, imagine the things they’d say: where to find the best bones, why they love playing fetch so much, which neighborhood dogs have the nicest-smelling butts, and so much more.

But now, we’re one step closer to living that dream. INUPATHY (apparently a portmanteau of “insight” and “empathy,” and “inu” also meaning “dog” in Japanese) is the world’s first dog “mental visualizer” – a device that tells you what your dog is thinking.

▼ And no, it’s not just: Squirrel! Squirrel! Squirrel! Squirrel!

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INUPATHY is worn as a normal collar that measures the dog’s pulse. Their heart rate is then checked via algorithms and used to estimate how the dog is feeling, which is shown by using different colored lights: red means excited, blue means relaxed, white means concentrating, and rainbow means happy.

▼ Big question: what light comes up when the dog has to pee?
I can see an argument for all four lights….

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Here’s a video put out by INUPATHY’s creators. You can watch the whole thing here or scroll down for highlights.

▼ INUPATHY not only measures your dog’s current heart rate,
but also keeps track of its trends.

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▼ It records times when your dog is excited…

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▼ …relaxed…

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▼ …concentrating…

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▼ …and happy! Nothing makes dogs happier than
playing “catch the human!”

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▼ INUPATHY also links to your smartphone,
letting you get a more detailed view of your dog’s feelings.

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▼ And based on trends from past experiences and information gathered via the INUPATHY cloud, it can also give you suggestions for games to play to keep your dog as happy as possible.

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If INUPATHY has you barking with excitement, unfortunately you’ll have to wait just a little bit longer. The company is currently taking pre-orders at INDIEGOGO for US$169 each, but they won’t be shipped and officially released until December this year.

Until then, we’ll just have to communicate with our pets the old-fashioned way: by learning to speak their language.

Source: INUPATHY, INDIEGOGO/INUPATHY
Images: INDIEGOGO/INUPATHY, YouTube/Inupathy
[ Read in Japanese ]