Avito company is launching the "KhvostRadar" service on July 6, designed to find lost cats and dogs by photo. As reported to TASS by the company's press service, the technological basis is a patented artificial intelligence and computer vision system.
The algorithm analyzes coat color, muzzle shape, breed, and size, then compares the uploaded photo with an array of advertisements. More than 3.3 thousand cards about lost and found animals have already been published on the platform, and over 400 pets have returned home via Avito in the last month. The system takes into account geolocation and time period, and if a match is found, it offers the owner to directly contact the ad's author via internal chat.
By the end of the year, the service will acquire a subscription to updates, automatic search, and a function to initiate the procedure by photo of a found animal – this will relieve volunteers of some routine tasks. Currently, searches are most often conducted manually through social networks and local chats; "KhvostRadar" is designed to shorten this process to the first hours after disappearance. The company stated that the model has already shown high accuracy in tests and will be refined based on feedback.