Your Samsung Galaxy phone can do a lot of really cool things, including some you might not even know exist. It can split Bluetooth audio streams or run two copies of the same messaging apps, and it even comes with a new Camera Assistant feature in One UI 8.5 – the latest software upgrade. But if you have furry companions, none of these features are as interesting or useful as the next one. Samsung Galaxy owners will soon be able to check their pet’s health by simply taking a photo.
Through a partnership with Lifet, a provider of AI-based pet care solutions, the feature will analyze pet photos using artificial intelligence to detect various health issues. It is not intended to replace a veterinarian or regular checkups, but it should provide better warning signs of potential health problems that need to be treated. The AI is said to detect dental health issues, cataracts, patellar luxation – a condition in which the kneecap dislocates from its normal position – and obesity. To use the service, Galaxy owners will need to have the SmartThings app and Samsung’s Pet Care service installed on their devices.
You can also use Lifet without a Galaxy device
Samsung’s integration of this feature should make it much easier to upload photos to Lifet, but you don’t actually need a Galaxy phone to use the service. You can visit Lifet on any mobile device. The company claims it can detect pet health issues with 97% accuracy using a single photo. Additionally, to create the proprietary dataset and train the AI, the team established data specification guidelines and leveraged over 30,000 photos from real veterinary hospitals, with labeling performed by veterinary specialists.
As for how it works, you can get an idea of the process by simply going to Lifet’s survey page, selecting Getting Started, and following the instructions. From there, you’ll need to save a profile for each pet you want to check by providing basic information like its name, age, gender, weight, and breed. After that, you begin the assessment, which involves selecting the problem you want to look for and taking a photo of your pet.
The biggest difference with Samsung’s implementation is that the service will be accessible directly from compatible Galaxy phones. Additionally, all personal data is protected via Knox, Samsung’s proprietary security solution. Of course, you don’t need any of this to keep your pets happy and healthy as long as they see their veterinarian regularly. The service is nothing more than a nice solution, just in case. Yet AI is doing some truly amazing things for pet owners – so much so that it could help us understand our pets.
