Hoomanely, a startup based in Palo Alto, has developed an AI platform and a sensor-laden feeding station called the EverBowl to assist pet owners in detecting early signs of illness in their dogs. The EverBowl measures various parameters such as food and water consumption, eating speeds, chewing and swallowing sounds, facial thermals, and oral motions. The AI platform analyzes this data to establish a baseline and generates health records, alerting owners through an app when there are prolonged deviations from the baseline. The app also allows users to input additional information to keep the baseline updated.

The company claims that the EverBowl is an optimal data capture environment due to its consistent use by dogs twice daily. Hoomanely’s platform, developed after an 18-month beta testing phase involving approximately 5 million data points from over 80 dogs, has reportedly detected changes in eating patterns linked to health issues such as a chipped tooth infection and tick fever. However, the beta cohort was small, with only about 50 devices shipped. Hoomanely acknowledges that its system is not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis but aims to facilitate earlier identification of potential health problems. The company is conducting formal veterinary studies to assess the system’s sensitivity, specificity, and false-positive rates across a larger dog population and plans to expand its device lineup to include wearables and third-party device integrations. Source

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