IAMS
Pioneering AI-Powered Pet Identification
The Challenge
Proving whether AI could transform an anecdotal idea into a practical identification system.
Every year, millions of pets go missing, yet traditional methods of identification rely on microchips, collars or manual searches. Working with IAMS and creative agency adam&eveDDB, Psycle was challenged to explore an ambitious question: could a dog's unique nose pattern become a reliable biometric identifier?
While small-scale academic research suggested that every dog's nose is unique, no practical, scalable solution existed that could accurately identify dogs using everyday smartphone cameras. The challenge was not simply to build an application, but to establish whether the underlying science could be made commercially viable.
Any solution would need to perform reliably in real-world conditions where dogs move, lighting varies and users expect an intuitive experience, transforming experimental machine learning into technology that ordinary pet owners could trust.
Our Approach
Validating the science before designing a product people would actually use.
Rather than beginning with product development, Psycle first focused on validating the underlying technology through a structured research and machine learning programme. Large datasets of dog nose images were analysed to determine whether consistent biometric features could be extracted and compared accurately under real-world conditions.
Once the feasibility had been proven, attention shifted to designing an intuitive consumer experience. Extensive prototype testing refined both the AI models and the user journey, ensuring owners could successfully capture high-quality nose images using nothing more than a smartphone.
This evidence-led approach allowed scientific research, machine learning, UX design and software engineering to evolve together, creating a robust foundation for a commercially viable product.
The Solution
An AI-powered identification platform combining computer vision, mobile technology and community features.
Psycle designed and developed NOSEiD as a complete AI-powered digital product, bringing together computer vision, machine learning, mobile technology and intuitive user experience into a single platform.
Using a smartphone camera, the platform analyses a dog's unique nose pattern to create a secure biometric identity that can be recognised quickly and accurately without specialist hardware.
Around the AI-powered identification engine, Psycle designed and built the complete consumer ecosystem, including mobile applications, community reporting, interactive mapping, lost dog alerts, a supporting website and digital marketing assets. The platform also integrated with enterprise systems, enabling customer data, operational workflows and supporting services to work seamlessly alongside the consumer experience, creating a practical service capable of reconnecting lost pets with their owners.
Technology included
Working closely with the client team, Psycle designed and delivered the complete NOSEiD digital ecosystem, from UX/UI design and consumer-facing website through to mobile applications, cloud infrastructure, enterprise integrations and the AI-powered identification platform itself. The result was an enterprise-ready product that proved sophisticated machine learning could be transformed into an intuitive real-world service.
The Outcome
An enterprise-ready AI platform proving machine learning can solve real-world problems.
What began as an experimental research project successfully demonstrated that computer vision and machine learning could solve a genuine real-world identification challenge, transforming an innovative concept into a practical digital product.
By combining AI research, user-centred design and robust software engineering, Psycle created a scalable platform that balanced technical innovation with an intuitive consumer experience suitable for everyday use.
Beyond creating an innovative product for IAMS, the project demonstrated Psycle's ability to take emerging technologies from research and experimentation through to commercially deployable platforms, applying AI to solve meaningful real-world problems. Following launch, Psycle continued to support and enhance the platform as it evolved in real-world use.
KEY RESULTS
- First-of-its-kind AI-powered biometric identification platform for dogs
- 20,000+ app downloads during the initial beta programme
- 2,000+ canine nose scans captured to train and validate the platform
- Demonstrated commercial viability of applied AI and computer vision for consumer products
Case Studies
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