#billispeaks

[scarsmispronouncedgong]

RIP Billi, aka BilliSpeaks, aka Her Madjesty. Were it not for you, many a critter wouldn't have buttons to verbally communicate with their humans. May your time across the Rainbow Bridge be full of mice hunting and luxurious naps.

[inkylynx]

I'm going to train my cat how to use the Alexa! He's been learning those talking buttons, and now I've added an "Alexa, softer" button next to the alexa so he can turn down my music.

If he gets that one down, I'll make buttons for a couple playlists and a button to skip the current song.

I want to learn my cats music taste!

[auntbibby]

i have a question about cat comprehension (and this probly applies to other pets too)

if pets like BilliSpeaks can comprehend human language when spoken outloud, (shown by when they respond in the same language via button-pressing)……

do ALL cats comprehend spoken human language from their owners, and most just cant demonstrate it cuz they dont have buttons?

i know sometimes dogs react behaviorally to the word “walk”!!

do most pets straight-up comprehend full sentences?????

[spidermartini]

I think about Billi a lot.

[aestheticsyoutubers]

machintelligence, billispeaks ↳ friends and catnip

[my-magical-story]

I am going through and finding some different YouTube channels of pets that have been taught to communicate through speech buttons. And I adore them learning and getting a chance to express themselves and ask for what they need/want. It's really cool!

https://youtube.com/channel/UC4n1G-BIHCYu1suNxLRjcyg

hungerforwords

Learn more about Stella at www.hungerforwords.com

https://youtube.com/channel/UCEa46rlHqEP6ClWitFd2QOQ

I am Bunny

I am Bunny Sheepadoodle Conversationalist

https://youtube.com/channel/UCGMTesZlKa0Lokb7ZNqOJXQ

BilliSpeaks

The most talkative feline, favorite word mad. Food is life.

[sausaged-rat]

The thing about teaching speaking buttons to cats is that like, their center of gravity is not the same as a dog’s. It’s actually kind of an effort to them to press it hard enough to make a sound. And cat’s hearing is so different from ours, the differences in quality between hearing us in the room and a tiny, tinny recording of us is probably way more of a big deal to them. In the book I’m reading, scientists studying birdsong discover you can switch whole sections of the song around and the bird listening won’t notice, as long as these little tiny micro frequencies between the notes stay the same. Cats aren’t doing shit like that but. Have there been any tests to see whether cats can innately recognize words they already know when hearing it through what is essentially a cheap YakBak? Or do they learn the association between the two sounds rote through modeling?

And yet they still learn! Because cats are dope.

A design that would better suit them would use speakers tuned up to cat hearing specs, and an activation that was easier than a button - preferably suited to a gesture already in their repertoire. Maybe through some kind of surface that can be activated through electrostatic discharge, so they could boop it or tap it with their beans?

[worriesndoodles]

im going to die i was fearing this moment for some time but billispeaks billi the cat died....im in agony