Ever wondered what your baby is trying to say as it howls in its cot? Or do you worry about what your dog is trying to communicate as it whines piteously and licks your face? Help is at hand. According to New Scientist, Yamamoto Masaomi of Yokohama in Japan has patented a system that monitors with a video camera noises and gestures that a child or a pet might make. The system has a ‘comparator’ which correlates the sounds with known body movements and facial expressions. Then speech synthesis software tells you what the comparator believes is the message the child or animal is trying to get across. Clearly, the software only needs to be taken one step further and you’ll get emails from your baby or dog telling your when they need to be fed or taken for a walk.
