Brett Smith for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online
When a dog is barking or staring intently at you, a common response might be to ask – “What do you want?”
A team of researchers from North Carolina State University is currently working on making communication between us and man’s best friend a little easier through the use of several different technologies a dog can wear on its back.
“We’ve developed a platform for computer-mediated communication between humans and dogs that opens the door to new avenues for interpreting dogs’ behavioral signals and sending them clear and unambiguous cues in return,” said David Roberts, an assistant professor of computer science at NC State, in a recent statement. “We have a fully functional prototype, but we’ll be refining the design as we explore more and more applications for the platform.”
The suite of communication devices are held on a harness which is then placed on the dog. The devices interpret a range of body language and biometrics to determine what kind of mood the canine is in and what it might be trying to say.
“Dogs communicate primarily through body language, and one of our challenges was to develop sensors that tell us about their behavior by observing their posture remotely,” Roberts said. “So we can determine when they’re sitting, standing, running, etc., even when they’re out of sight – a harness-mounted computer the size of a deck of cards transmits those data wirelessly.”
In addition to trying to determine what dogs are trying to say, the NC State researchers also developed a system to let dogs know what we are trying to tell them, as described in a paper recently published by the IEEE Intelligent Systems journal.
Image Above: Researchers at NC State University have developed a high-tech harness that is equipped with a suite of technologies to enhance communication between dogs and humans, with applications in everything from search and rescue to service dogs to training our pets. Credit: North Carolina State University
“We’ve incorporated speakers and vibrating motors, called haptics, into the harness, which enable us to communicate with the dogs,” Roberts noted.
“We developed software to collect, interpret and communicate those data, and to translate human requests into signals on the harness,” said study co-author Rita Brugarolas, an NC State PhD student in electronics.
The communication system also contains physiological sensors that keep track of things like heart rate and body temperature. The devices not only monitor a dog’s physical well-being, but can provide data on a dog’s emotional state, such as if it is excited or anxious.
The researchers noted that their system can be customized with further devices based on the specific needs of the dog owner.
“For example, for search and rescue, we’ve added environmental sensors that can detect hazards such as gas leaks, as well as a camera and microphone for collecting additional information,” said study author Alper Bozkurt, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State.
“We’re also very interested in addressing stress in working dogs, such as guide dogs for the blind,” added co-author Sean Mealin, another NC State PhD student. “We’re reliant on the physiological and behavioral sensors to give us a picture of the dog’s mental and emotional state.”
“This can help handlers identify and mitigate stress for the dogs, improving the length and quality of a dog’s life,” Mealin added. “It’s an important issue. Particularly because guide dogs are bred and trained not to display signs of stress in their behavior.”
The researchers said they are currently working on miniaturizing the technology and refining the sensors it uses for use in animal hospitals and shelters.
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