Move over humans, this startup is making facial recognition for pets
If youre a dog lover, you probably dont need convincing that your furry friend is like no other. But just how exactly can you tell two pups apart? AI startup Megvii says they have an answer.
The company, known better as a supplier of facial recognition surveillance software to the Chinese government, is now dabbling in biometric recognition for animals. But rather than scanning the whole face of a dog, it focuses solely on one feature: The nose.
(Abacus is a unit of the South China Morning Post, which is owned by Alibaba -- a backer of Megvii.)
The technology is based on the idea that dogs are discernable by their nose prints, similar to how smartphones or law enforcement agencies use fingerprints to identify humans. Unlike the more prevalent identification method of chip implants, Megvii says nose printing is cheaper and less invasive.
Kennel clubs around the world are already known to register nose prints to locate lost or stolen dogs. One primitive way to take a nose print is by coating the nose with ink and pressing it against white cardboard.
Megviis method, however, doesnt require smearing your dogs snout. Just point your phones camera at the nose and the system will be able to locate key identifying markers, creating a unique profile of your dog in the database.
https://www.abacusnews.com/future-tech/move-over-humans-startup-making-facial-recognition-pets/article/3018307