FluentPet Connect | 2022

Designers: Ben Liu, Harvok Pty Ltd., Dandenong South, Victoria, Australia
Manufacturer: Harvok Pty Ltd., Dandenong South, Victoria, Australia

With coverage in the NY Times, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, FluentPet has been the global leader in the burgeoning “intelligent pet” industry since its 2020 launch. Its latest product, FluentPet Connect, is poised to once again revolutionize our understanding of animal-human communication for consumers and researchers alike. FluentPet uses cognitive science-based research and insights to inform and guide the design of its products that help animals "talk” with their humans. Enamored with the ground-breaking FluentPet HexTile system, human HexTile guides across the globe began spending hours daily tracking their learner’s vocabulary progress.

FluentPet Connect allows these users to automatically track, quantify and share their progress on a WiFi-connected smart system that enables streamlined communication with fellow human users and the scientific community. Similar to the original FluentPet HexTile system, the new system allows dogs or cats to express their needs, emotions, and thoughts by pressing recordable sound buttons. It includes mobile app connectivity and improved audio capability, improving the user experience based on one-on-one feedback from dedicated users. The upgraded Bluetooth-enabled HexTiles enables animals to send “texts” when their humans are away, allowing their humans to never miss a word or any major milestones. FluentPet Connect is organized around a central Base HexTile which provides a WiFi-Bluetooth bridge to connect Bluetooth buttons and automatically capture each button press.

The variations accommodate up to six buttons and come in a range of colors for easier word categorization and visual recognition, providing enough variation for a vocabulary of 100-plus words in at least six categories. Compared to other sound button systems, FluentPet Connect is equipped with a single large, high-quality speaker, providing clearer and louder audio than anything on the market. The buttons are customizable, with users able to record and transmit high-fidelity audio via their smartphones. The new design also features a lithium battery that lasts over three weeks and can operate under routine use and is rechargeable via a USB-C charging port.

With these upgrades in connectivity and functionality, users can find deeper, more meaningful insights into what our dogs or cats might be thinking. FluentPet Connect’s ability to generate a continual learning process with shareable data will contribute to more discoveries of what is possible with interspecies communication. With these improvements in design, audio, and overall functionality, FluentPet Connect represents the next phase in the pet industry’s quest to better bridge the interspecies communication gap.