Dragon Ball's story is filled with all sorts of interesting mechanical devices, but few have had more impact on the story than the Scouter.

Scouters allow characters in Dragon Ball to scan an enemy’s biodata from a distance, and that convenient feature, along with their sleek design, have made them extremely popular among fans.
In fact, they're so popular that many fans have purchased toy replicas of them or even made their own papercraft versions!

You may be surprised to learn that a similar device actually exists in reality, and it's used at locations where livestock is raised.

This aptly named "Sow-ter" (the Japanese name being a pun on Scouter and the Japanese word for pig, Buta) includes features that allow people to measure the weight of a pig through a camera. But how did the Sow-ter come to be? And what other uses does it have?

We decided to ask its developer, Professor Kikuhito Kawasue from Miyazaki University, about the Sow-ter's specs as well as what kind of technology the Scouters in Dragon Ball might be made with and why in the world they explode.

Read on to boost perhaps not your Power Level but the resolution within you to understand the inner workings of the Scouter!

Profile

Kikuhito Kawasue: Professor at Miyazaki University's Faculty of Engineering Department. Received his doctorate in engineering in 1996 from Nagasaki University. Developed a system that could measure the weight of beef, but it could not be put to practical use due to the lack of AI advancement at the time. His new invention, a pair of glasses that allow the wearer to see the weight of a pig, was selected by the Ministry of Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) as one of the top 10 biggest developments in agricultural technology.

Interviewer: Masayuki Kato
Science instructor and writer specializing in biology. A Dragon Ball fan who read the manga as it was being published in Weekly Shonen Jump for 10 years from the age of 6 to 16.

*Interview was conducted remotely.

The Scouter's Shape Is Ideal for Its Task?!

Jumping right in, can you tell us about the glasses you invented that allow pigs to be weighed with a camera?

It's a device that has a 3D camera and smart glasses (a glasses-shaped display) attached to a helmet. The smart glasses display the surrounding scenery in real-time.

When the camera captures a pig, its weight will be displayed on the smart glasses.

Kato: That's amazing! A transparent display that shows information is just like the Scouters. Although, I can’t help but feel that if you want to weigh a pig, you might as well just have it stand on a scale. Why did you make this sort of device?

Kawasue: There's a special scale used to weigh pigs that several people need to operate, but pigs tend to dislike being forced to stand on it. The ideal weight to ship a pig at is about 115 kg (Note: Because shipping costs vary depending on the pig’s weight), and when they reach that weight, they’re not only large but also quite strong. Pig farmers face an eternal struggle of having to weigh around 100 pigs a day. It’s grueling work. However, with this device, they can weigh their pigs by simply looking at it through a camera, which makes their jobs much easier.

Kato: I see. Though I still can’t help but wonder, why did you make it something to be worn on one's head? You could still photograph the pig by holding a camera attached to something like a selfie stick, couldn’t you?

Kawasue: That's what I had in mind originally, but pigs can move much faster than people realize, so using a camera attached to a rod would make it hard to get the right angle.

However, human beings will instinctively follow their targets with their eyes, so attaching the camera to the head makes it easier to keep up with the pigs and also allows them to be photographed from a higher vantage point.

Kato: So the idea to use smart glasses for your display came later?

Kawasue: Yes, we used a regular display at first, but when smart glasses came into existence I realized I could use them for my invention. Attaching both the camera and smart glasses to the user’s head leaves their hands free, so they can still guide the pigs, jot down the numbers, and perform any other tasks they need to, making it very efficient.

Kato: Having both hands free would definitely make working more effective. That was probably the same idea behind the Scouter’s design too. If they had to carry a camera on a rod in one hand and a large display in the other, they'd basically be useless in battle.

Thousands of Pigs' Data Analyzed by AI

Kato: What are the components that help make a device that can measure a pig's weight by seeing it through a camera?

Kawasue: The captured image is analyzed by an AI to calculate data regarding the pig's length, height, chest size, and so on, which it then uses to estimate the pig's weight. Naturally, this wouldn’t be possible with just a regular photograph. In order to make sure the weight could be accurately determined from the measurements I just mentioned, we gathered data from many different farmers regarding the size and weight of thousands of pigs.

Kato: Thousands of pigs?! Then I guess this technology would never have been possible without those farmers' cooperation.

Kawasue: That's one of the advantages of being in the Miyazaki Prefecture. Since it’s home to lots of pig farmers, we were able to collect a substantial amount of data.

The old method of measurement is extremely difficult, and only real veteran farmers are good enough to eyeball a pig’s weight and determine if it’s ready to be shipped, so I think a device like this meets the needs of people working these kind of jobs.

Kato: In other words, farmers who were relying on their experience and instincts no longer have to worry about that.

Kawasue: Exactly. Incidentally, since this device is the first of its type anywhere in the world and we’re looking to launch it internationally, we’ve had pig farmers in other countries use it as well and we’ve gotten quite a response from them.

Kato: That's so cool and futuristic!

The Amazing Toriyama Drew Scouters 30 Years Before They Were Invented!

Kato: Did you have Scouters in mind when you made this device by any chance?

Kawasue: I had never heard of them prior, but when my students saw the device I'd developed, they all remarked that it was like a Scouter. That's how I first learned what Scouters were, and I ended up reading Dragon Ball for myself afterward.

The two devices share such a similar shape and function that people gave it the nickname “Sow-ter”. (Note: No patent has been filed for this name)

Kato: That's such an amazing name.

Kawasue: From what I’ve read of the manga, it appears the Scouters first appeared around 1990.

When I think about where technology was back then, this must have seemed very novel to the people reading the series at the time.

Kato: I was in elementary school back then, and they were a huge deal in my class. Everyone was making their own Scouters out of cardboard or cellophane.

Kawasue: Considering this was in an era before communication through smartphones was possible, it's quite incredible and surprising that Mr. Toriyama was able to imagine a device that was basically a PC small enough to be worn on one’s face.

Kato: Yes, it's basically a multi-purpose smart device that’s a lot like the smartphones we have now. It really takes a tech-lover like Toriyama to be able to accurately envision what form advanced technology will take 30 years before it’s even developed.

Kawasue: Yes, I dare say he might even have precognition.

Could It Be Used on the Racetrack? The Future Uses of the Scouter.

Kato: This Sow-ter could be used in different ways besides just measuring the weight of a pig, correct? Perhaps it could measure a human's weight?

Kawasue: I’ve been asked that since the onset, but since humans wear clothing, it would affect the image that’s being photographed, and so the device couldn't provide an accurate measurement. There's also the ethical dilemma of whether it’s okay to create a device that could measure someone’s weight without their permission.

That said, we are researching how it may be used to measure a baby’s weight.

Kato: Is there any reason why you wouldn't want to weigh a baby using a scale?

Kawasue: There are cases where you can’t easily pick up a newborn if it’s born at an extremely low birth weight of under 1000g. Babies like that are very weak, so even the slightest touch can cause extreme discomfort.

Kato: I see. And since newborns aren’t clothed, this device could be useful. What about other livestock? Could this device be used to weigh a cow, for example?

Kawasue: A cow’s weight matters less than a pig's when it comes to shipping, so it’s not as necessary to weigh them precisely. Thus it might not be useful when it comes to cows. Moreover, there are a lot of factors that can affect the value of a cow's meat, so people who can judge the quality of beef with their eyes are invaluable.

Kato: I see, so I guess there are some situations that fall outside this device’s capabilities. I imagine the people you just mentioned might say something like, "Take off your Scouter. Those numbers are worthless."

Kawasue: That reminds me, someone told me that if this device could be used to measure a horse’s condition at the racetrack before a race, it would sell really well with horse racing fans.

Kato: Without a doubt! In which case, it may not be long before we see hordes of people wearing this device lined up around the racetrack's paddock.

Kawasue: If that happens, I'll make a fortune in royalties since I own the patent. (laughs)

Kato: Doctor Kawasue, you’re more pragmatic than I realized.

Look at Everything the Scouter Can Do!

Kato: As the man who developed the Sow-ter, I'd love to get your opinion on what kind of technology is in the Scouter from Dragon Ball.

Kawasue: It must have AI just like the Sow-ter.

And the AI must have the ability to separate the target of analysis from the rest of the world, along with the mathematical ability to analyze its data and display it as numbers.

Kato: I see. Could you explain in more detail how the separating and mathematical functions are incorporated into the Sow-ter?

Kawasue: The Sow-ter's classification function works by determining whether the subject being captured with the camera is a pig or not.

Likewise, I believe the Scouter must pull from a database to determine whether the subject is a Saiyan, a Namekian, and so on.

Once it’s determined the subject's class, it reads another database to calculate its Power Level. That's the mathematical function. My hypothesis is the device's calculation system is made up of these two features. If you used it to measure a Super Saiyan's Power Level, for example, it would first identify the target as a Super Saiyan, then reference the data it has on Super Saiyans to determine that the target could be very powerful regardless if it were large or small.

Kato: In that case, it must have data on every living being in the universe. I guess that’s the level of technology one should expect from the Frieza Force, since they go around conquering planets. They really are obsessed with battle...

Kawasue: Another defining characteristic of this kind of device that uses AI and a database is that the more data it has, the better it works. We in my research team are still continuing to collect data on pigs from farms both inside and outside Miyazaki Prefecture. The more data we have, the more accurate the Sow-ter will become.

Kato: Meaning that someday the Sow-ter may be able to measure a pig's weight more accurately than a veteran using their experience and eyes.

Kawasue: I believe so. There are lots of scenes in the manga where the Scouter calculates a number higher than what the wearer predicted, causing them to claim it’s broken, but in fact it was always accurate. I think this technology will reach that level of accuracy as well.

Kato: That's very exciting. When that happens, I hope a veteran somewhere will scream about how the Sow-ter must be broken.

Why Do Scouters Explode?

Kato: Since you invented a device similar to the Scouter, I was wondering if you think we’ll see a multipurpose calculation and communication device that can be worn like the characters do in Dragon Ball in the near future?

Kawasue: We have the technology to make a device like the Scouter, so I believe the students in my lab would be able to make one soon enough.

Wireless communication technology and data transfer is commonplace now, so there shouldn’t be any huge barriers.

However, for safety reasons, this type of PC shouldn’t be worn on one’s head like the Scouters. The Sow-ter is actually attached to the user’s lower back.

Kato: Why is that?

Kawasue: When the Scouters try to calculate a Power Level that can’t be measured, they explode, correct? So having it attached to your head is life-threatening.

Kato: That's true, Scouters being declared “broken” and suddenly exploding was a staple of the Saiyan and Frieza arc storylines. I've actually been wanting to ask you if Sow-ters could also explode, but I was worried you would think I was an idiot if I did, so I kept my mouth shut.

Kawasue: Not at all. It's a very important question when it comes to conjecturing about the Scouter’s specs.

The Sow-ter's power source is a high-capacity lithium-ion battery. If the same were true of the Scouter, then there’s always that danger of it catching on fire or exploding.

Kato: So it’s the battery. I see.

Kawasue: Looking at the Scouter's design, it's safe to assume its power supply is a battery that’s stored in the device itself. So its power supply must be a lithium-ion battery.

Kato: Lithium-ion batteries can't be in your checked luggage on a plane, right? And they may not even let you bring them on as part of your carry-on luggage either.

Kawasue: Right, so I imagine that Scouter explosions are most likely due to the battery rupturing from overheating as a result of an immense burden being placed on the processor.

Kato: Oh my goodness! So the Scouters exploding from being overloaded isn't just fiction! It's totally possible in real life too. I never thought of it like that...

And of Course, Dr. Kawasue's Favorite Character Is a Certain Guy You just Can't Hate...

Kato: Thank you very much for the stimulating conversation today, Doctor. As a Dragon Ball fan first and foremost, I was both surprised and thrilled that what I thought as a child was technology that could only exist in science-fiction is now being used in reality.

Being that this is an article for the Dragon Ball Official Site, I have to ask: who was your favorite character, considering that you read the manga only after inventing the Sow-ter?

Kawasue: I like characters who can get away with anything, characters that you can’t bring yourself to hate no matter what they do, and so I'd have to say my favorite is Oolong. It couldn’t be anyone else.

Kawasue: I like characters who can get away with anything, characters that you can’t bring yourself to hate no matter what they do, and so I'd have to say my favorite is Oolong. It couldn’t be anyone else.

Kato: Of course, everything comes back to pigs. Thank you very much for tying it all together for us, Doc.