I think we communicate just fine without any fancy equipment, don't we, Parental Unit?
What happens when North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine collaborates with its computer science and electrical and computer engineering departments? In this case, the result is a "Smart Harness", a device that can be customized for different purposes, and ultimately will allow a dog and owner to improve their communication.
This article in a recent New York Times describes a Smart Harness as "a computer-equipped back pack worn by the dog...and that operates as a platform for two-way computer-mediated communication between dogs and handlers." Researchers hope this new technology "will allow owners to better train their pets" and improve training and communication with search and rescue dogs.
Apparently in the real world, more sophisticated methods of communication (other than staring at or pawing your parental unit until you get what you want) are necessary to help train working dogs. Hmmm. What do you think about this new technology? Let us know!
4 comments:
I can hear "stop pulling Molly" already. Mom wants to know where to sign up for this, Bocci!
Love ya lots♥
Mitch and Molly
It sounds a little like over-reach at this point in development but I can definitely see some specialized uses down the line - e.g., monitoring vital signs of working dogs, possibly monitoring stress levels in fearful dogs, and using vibration as a means to communicate with deaf dogs.
But, for day-to-day life, it doesn't seem like we need computers to communicate with our dogs... but perhaps I'll be surprised down the line!
Thanks for sharing!
Cool technology, but I agree with KB. We should all communicate with our dogs without a computer
Agreed. There are so many ways to communicate with our pets without gadgets...we just have to take the time. On the other hand, this "gadget" might prove useful in specialized cases like KB mentioned. Here's hoping it is useful!
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