Headset for dogs translates their thoughts

Sweden's No More Woof is an EEG device that reads dogs' brainwaves in order to determine what's on their mind.

The world of tech and the world of dogs has yet to collide in a significant way, although we have seen devices such as the Whistle, which help to quantify the animals’ activity and health in much the same way fitness trackers for humans do. However — aiming to bestow the talents of Dr Doolittle onto any owner, No More Woof is an EEG device that reads dogs’ brainwaves in order to determine what’s on their mind.

Created by The Nordic Society for Invention and Discovery — in the past responsible for innovations such as the iRock iPad-charging seat — the product has been designed to comfortably fit onto the head of an average-sized dog and uses non-invasive EEG techniques to take a reading of their brainwaves, in much the same way as existing headbands for humans do. The team has already identified the neural patterns that occur when the pets are tired, excited and hungry. When the dogs repeat those emotions, the patterns are picked up by a Raspberry Pi-powered computer that lets owners know how their dog is feeling.

The video below explains more about the concept:

After successfully reaching their funding target through Indiegogo, the team now hope to identify more complex thought patterns — such as specific types of confusion — that can be translated into English. It also hopes to add support for Mandarin, French and Spanish humans too. Backers could previously get their hands on the first edition of the device for USD 65, although the team strongly assert that No More Woof is still a work in progress and not a finished product. It hopes to use the Indiegogo funding to continue developing the idea and continuing further research into the new field of interspecies translation. Are there other ideas that could work in this burgeoning market?