Don’t we all just wonder what our cat is saying to us sometimes? Well, a former Amazon engineer might just help you understand them.
Javier Sanchez, who was a part of the Amazon Alexa project is now managing a project with the Bellvue, Washington tech company, Akvelon.
The app, MeowTalk, is to change feline vocalizations into words that we can read and understand.
“It’s not a language. They don’t share words or communicate with each other. Cats never meow at each other out in nature,” Sanchez told the local NBC affiliate about meows.
The researchers find that there are nine different intentions that make up a sound from these furry creatures – each meow has its own specific sound and meaning. Even so, each cat has its own unique sound that goes beyond the list of generics.
Just like Alexa, the app can collect data to understand your furry friend better. The users can record their cat’s meows and get a translation based on what vocalization it falls into. The users can also provide feedback for the app to improve better.
“You can train the MeowTalk app to learn your cat’s unique vocabulary of meows (cat talk) by telling the app what each meow means when your cat makes it. When you give the app 5 to 10 examples of a specific meow for your cat (e.g. “food”, “let me out”) the app can start to recognize that meow (be your cat translator) when it hears it,” reads the app’s description.
MeowTalk is still under development and is continually being refined and updated, but the prototype is available to download now for Apple and Andriod phones.
Sanchez hopes the app proves to be successful and that he and his team will eventually be able to develop a collar that translates your cat’s meows as they are speaking.
Source: People