Babies cry - it's a part of life. For some, it's an annoyance that happens in public places, such as grocery stores and airplanes. However, for the parents and the baby itself, it's an attempt at communication of information. Unfortunately, understanding what the baby is saying can be a bit of a guessing game. For the baby, however, there is a lot of information being communicated. Fortunately for modern parents, there is Zoundream: a language translator for baby cries.
Monitor baby's communication
Monitoring a baby's communication is an important part of parenting, and technology is making it easier than ever. Zoundream, a Swiss health tech company, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze baby cries in real time. This technology can help parents understand why their baby is crying.
The idea for Zoundream was born when the company's CEO and co-founder became a father five years ago. He realized that whenever his daughter was crying, she was communicating information, and it felt wrong that they weren't really listening or paying attention. He also discovered that if his daughter had certain pathologies or developmental disorders, she would likely cry differently. With this in mind, he created Zoundream to help other parents around the world better understand their babies.
A universal translator for babies
Zoundream's product is a cloud-based software service that interfaces with multiple devices that people already have at home, such as baby monitors, phones, TVs, Alexa, or Google Home. They are working with different consumer electronic companies, including baby companies, to integrate the software into their products. This way, parents can buy a baby monitor from any company and still get the capability of being able to analyze the cry and get the translation out of it.
Zoundream is currently launching products with its technology in different geographies, including the US in 2023. With this technology, parents can better understand their baby's communication. This could potentially save the lives of babies all around the world, and change their lives forever.
Zoundream has been testing its technology for four years now and has given out the device for free to parents with small babies to test and use. This has resulted in over 120,000 hours of use. This technology has been tested and is now ready to be put into products.
A future medical application
In addition to the standard communication, the software has more potential. They have also been developing a version of the service that can identify potential pathologies or developmental disorders. A baby with one of these conditions will have an altered cry, which would be able to be identified through the software.
The process of getting this technology out into the wild is not easy, as it requires approval from the FDA and other medical trials. This process is a long, arduous, and expensive one - especially for a startup. Zoundream hopes to be able to monetize its first product, the crying translator, to finance and develop the other part of its technology.
Learn more
Zoundream is looking forward to getting its technology out into the wild. They are expecting it to be ready for July 2023, and parents will be able to buy baby monitors with their technology from the US and other parts of the world. To learn more about the product or to find out when products become available, head to their website.
Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.
