Bowlingual is a goofy gadget manufactured by Takara Co. Ltd. that straps
to the neck of a pet dog and converts their barks into human speech. For
example, if the dog is hungry then the sensors supposedly pick this up in the
tone and manner of the bark and the device will cry out "I'm hungry!" in either English or Japanese. Other phrases
include "I'm
bored, let's play!" and "I've had enough!" Takara claims that Bowlingual can detect
happiness, sadness, and frustration.
Moreover, if you leave your dog at home, then you can record everything
your dog says while you're away. The additional handset that remotely
communicates with the receiver on the dog's end has an LCD screen that
displays simple digital expressions.
Bowlingual works with over 50 species of dogs, but may not work with the
Basenji, which has more of a yodel than a bark.
Bowlingual recently won an Ig Nobel Prize!
~ Like Japanese inventions? Try... Japanese style toilet ~