AI cat shelter uses facial recognition

An engineer from Baidu Brain says he has incorporated artificial intelligence into a nearly two-meter-tall shelter for feral cats.

A model of the multi-level cat shelter includes a camera at the entrance that only opens the door when it recognizes the approaching animal is a cat.

Baidu engineer Wan Xi says he’s a cat lover and hopes his invention will provide homeless cats with a place to stay warm and safe during the winter, according to a video on Tencent.

The see-through model of the shelter includes a camera so Wan can monitor cats’ activities on his mobile phone app. There’s also a security camera at the entrance to the shelter. Wan shows the camera a picture of a dog and the door doesn’t open, but it apparently recognizes a photo of a cat on Wan’s phone and the door slides open.

The video claims the shelter’s facial recognition software can identify the faces of 174 different cats, report on the cat’s state of health and whether the feline has been spayed or neutered.