Facial recognition startup Megvii, which is backed by Alibaba, has launched a canine nose print recognition system which could help pet owners with finding lost dogs.
The nose print technology can also be applied to urban pet management, the company said.
Using the system development by Megvii, dog owners can take photos or shoot videos of their dogs’ noses and upload them to a dedicated database to get identification certificates for their dogs.
The Beijing-based facial recognition giant said nose print recognition technology is more accurate, pet-friendly, and costs less than existing pet identification solutions, such as DNA sampling and microchipping.
Nose print recognition could potentially be used in pet insurance services, simplifying the sales and claim processes.
China’s pet economy is on the rise. The annual growth rate for China’s pet industry was nearly 50% between 2010 and 2016, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
With nearly 34 million dog owners and 22.6 million cat owners, the volume of the country’s pet industry reached RMB 171 billion in 2018, according to last year’s China Pet Industry White Paper.