Researchers at North Carolina State University have
developed a device that allows people who are blind to monitor their guide
dogs, in order to keep tabs on the health and well-being of their canine
companions. The work was led by Sean Mealin, a PhD student at NC State, who is
blind. This photo shows Mealin and his guide dog, Simba, using a traditional
guide dog harness and handle.
"Dogs primarily
communicate through their movements and posture, which makes it difficult or
impossible for people who are blind to fully understand their dogs' needs on a
moment-to-moment basis," says David Roberts, an assistant professor of
computer science at NC State and co-author of a paper describing the new
technology.
"This challenge is
particularly pronounced in guide dogs, who are bred and trained to be outwardly
calm and avoid drawing attention to themselves in public."
To address this need, the researchers have developed a suite
of technologies that monitor a dog's breathing and heart rate and share the
information with the dog's handler.
"Our goal is to
let guide dog handlers know when their dogs are stressed or anxious,"
says Sean Mealin, a Ph.D. student at NC State and lead author of the paper.
"This is important because it is widely
believed that stress is a significant contributing factor to early retirement
of guide dogs and other service animals. The technology may also be able to
help handlers detect other health problems, such as symptoms of heat
exhaustion."
The issue is particularly important to Mealin, who is blind
and works with his own guide dog, Simba.
The research team had previously developed monitoring
technologies that are incorporated into a lightweight harness that can be worn
by rescue or service dogs. The trick was to find a way to share that monitoring
data with users who are blind - and to do so in a way that allows those users
to act on the information.
"We didn't want
to give handlers an endless stream of information that would be difficult to
interpret," Mealin says.
So, the researchers developed a specialized handle that
attaches to a guide dog's harness. The handle is equipped with two vibrating
motors.
- One motor is embedded in the handle by the handler's thumb,
and vibrates - or beats - in time with the dog's heart rate. When the dog's
heart rate increases, so does the rate at which the motor beats.
- The second motor is embedded in the handle near the
handler's pinky finger, and vibrates in synch with the dog's breathing. The
vibration increases and decreases in intensity, to simulate the dog breathing
in and out.
"We wanted to use
electronic signals that intuitively make sense for the dog handlers,"
Roberts says.
The prototype handle has been tested using simulated heart
rate and respiratory data, and was found to be effective at accurately
conveying information to users.
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| Prototype wearable technology for dogs |
"We're refreshing
the design and plan to do additional testing with guide-dog handlers,"
Roberts says. "Our ultimate goal is
to provide technology that can help both guide dogs and their people. That
won't be in the immediate future, but we're optimistic that we'll get
there."
Source: North Carolina State University. "New tech helps handlers monitor
health, well-being of guide dogs." Science Daily. 16 Nov 2015
Communication between
dogs and humans could be improved with wearable tech for canines
- Developed in the US, the harness is fitted with sensors that
monitor both a dog's posture and its vital signs and can pass the information
to an owner.
- It also contains vibrating motors so owners can communicate
with a dog even if it is out of sight.
- The harness could help with training or refine how working
dogs and their handlers cooperate.
Stress test:
The harness was fitted with motion detectors to help
interpret a dog's body language - their primary means of communication, said Dr
David Roberts, an assistant professor of computer science at the North Carolina
State University, who helped develop the prototype.
"We can determine
when they're sitting, standing, running, even when they're out of sight,"
he said in a statement.
More subtle information about a dog's wellbeing is also
gathered via heart-rate and body-temperature sensors. These can alert people if
a dog is stressed or excited.
"We're reliant on
the physiological and behavioural sensors to give us a picture of the dog's
mental and emotional state," said Sean Mealin, a PhD student at NC
State, who has also worked on the project.
"This can help
handlers identify and mitigate stress for the dogs," said Mr Mealin. "It's an important issue. Particularly
because guide dogs are bred and trained not to display signs of stress in their
behaviour."
In addition, handlers can add another layer to the way they
communicate with a dog, by making motors on the harness nudge a dog to
reinforce a spoken command or prompt a dog to take action if it is a long way
away.
Finally, the wearable tech can be augmented with a variety
of other devices, such as microphones, cameras and environmental sensors that
can gather data, as from dogs being used in disaster zones.
The creators of the harness are now working on a
miniaturised version and improving its sensors so they can be used in animal
shelters and hospitals to monitor the wellbeing of animals in care or
recovering from treatment.
