Kitty Lockdown

Quantum Picture develops image-recognition technology. Their proof-of-concept is an ingenious automated cat-flap that prevents kitty from bringing in any unwelcome guests (as cats are wont to do). It’s called the Flo Control Project. You can see a picture of Flo standing in front of her high-tech door, which is commercially available as Cat Mate, to the left.

Basically, the setup has a digital camera and a lamp, the lamp projects a silhouette of the cat’s head onto a screen, then the camera takes a picture. The software is motion sensitive. According to their theory, they scan an image, breaking it down into discrete areas that typify the subject. This breakdown is compared to the breakdown obtained from the silhouette and instantaneously decides whether to engage the door lock or not.

The website has a live demonstration* of the Flo Control project in action on a home with two cats. The pictures of cats trying to come in with their mouths stuffed full are pretty amusing. There’s also some pictures of skunks and birds being rejected too.

*This will take you to April 5, 2002. Click ‘Start’ to go to the main page and see the current day’s events.