A new AI-based app that uses your dog’s “nose print” to find lost dogs is 99% effective, according to Freethink. Supposedly, the app can help reunite lost pets with their owners by using a unique nose print of the cat or dog in question.
From Dog Tags to Microchips, and Now a Nose Print
Any dog owner knows that losing a pet is among the most distressing experiences that can happen. Over the years, the methods used to help locate dogs and find their owners have improved dramatically. Although microchipping is safe, affordable, and reliable, this new app uses cutting-edge technology that doesn’t require your dog to undergo a medical procedure.
Incredibly, the app—from South Korean startup Petnow—uses AI-based technology to identify a dog (or cat) based on the unique ridges and creases on their nose. According to a study where researchers described this innovative modeling program, the algorithm can accurately detect a specific dog with 99% accuracy.
Using Smartphones to Help Find Lost Dogs
Because the Petnow app works directly through your smartphone, it’s accessible and easy to use for pet owners. Simply scan a picture of your dog’s face, upload it, and their nose print will be safely stored. Notably, pets must be at least six months old, since that’s the age when their noses stop changing.
If you lose your dog, the Petnow app allows users to send out a missing alert to other app users. If another Petnow user locates a stray dog, they can scan their nose to see if they’re a positive match.
Petnow Has Big Plans for the Future
Currently, the app has limited availability. For the dog print identification system to work, users have to understand how to upload their dog’s nose print. Additionally, other users have to understand how to navigate the app and must let the app send them alerts for missing dogs.
Regardless, the startup is optimistic that the app will gain traction over time, including brokering deals with government agencies. Significantly, they’re hoping the South Korean government will make registering your pet with the app mandatory, according to Peter Jung, Petnow’s business development manager.
However, Petnow is not the first company to have this novel idea. Other facial recognition apps are appearing on the market, so it remains to be seen how established Petnow will become.
