July 16, 2003 (TOKYO) After selling 300,000 pet-lovers on the
Bowlingual gadget that supposedly translates a dog's bark into
human language, a toymaker hopes to parlay that success into a new
hit product: Meowlingual.
The cat-shaped machine set to go on sale in Japan in November
translates meows and purrs into human phrases such as "I can't
stand it," although exact wording hasn't been decided yet,
Tokyo-based Takara Co. said Wednesday.
The translation device will likely sell for about $74, slightly
cheaper than the $125 Bowlingual, which has been a big hit in
Japan.
Both gadgets use scientific data on animal sounds from a Tokyo
laboratory that also analyzes human voices, helps solve crime and
takes part in designing software for mobile phones.
Takara plans to start selling Bowlingual in the United States in
August. Overseas sales plans for Meowlingual are still
undecided.
"Cats are smaller and more finicky than dogs so we had to change
the design a little," Takara spokeswoman Maiko Hasumi said.
The feline version won't strap on the collar as does the
Bowlingual, and a person must hold the microphone in the machine up
to the cat's mouth and hope it says something, she said.
In case your cat's not in the mood, the machine will have "playful
features," such as a horoscope reading for cat lovers, she
said.
