One Chinese man, who was concerned for the well-being of stray cats in his native city Beijing, recently built the world’s first AI-powered cat shelter. Wan Xi is a computer engineer who was always a devoted animal lover. He’d feed the stray cats and provide them with fresh water. During this icy cold winter, he took it one step further and now the stray kittens of Beijing can have a safe, warm and incredibly cool-looking refuge.
Wan wanted to learn about the living conditions of stray cats, so he reached out to animal welfare volunteers
Image credits: Elin
He then found out that many stray cats live no more than two years due to lack of medical supervision, as many of them have common illnesses that aren’t treated. The collected data showed that only four out of ten strays manage to survive a cold winter. It is now estimated that approximately 40,000 homeless kitties are living on the streets of China. Having learned this information, Wan, a concerned cat lover, decided that it was time to take action and help the furry ones.
“At first, I just wanted to provide them with a warm place in winter with food and water that is not frozen”
Image credits: Elin
The project quickly grew bigger and Wan wound up creating a high-tech shelter for felines, that can also double as a temporary veterinary clinic. The temperature inside the shelter is set to 27°C (80°F) and its doors only open to cats using cameras with facial recognition. The smart cameras can even detect and point out any potential health problems the fur-balls may be facing.
The self-powered AI shelter is managed by a team of volunteers, who are notified about any welfare concerns
Image credits: Elin
The data is updated regularly and the volunteers get the notifications sent to their offices. They get notified if any of the cats have common diseases, such as feline herpesvirus or gingivostomatitis. The high tech shelter also can tell whether the feline has been sterilized or neutered.
The shelter inhabitants are provided not only with food and water, but toys as well
Image credits: Elin
It looks as the ingeniously designed refuge has everything the cats living on the street may need. Most importantly, they have a place to spend freezing nights in and a team of wonderful people who are kind enough to invest their own time into helping the fuzzballs in need.
Check out the video to see the felines enjoying their new shelter
Image credits: Elin
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