Dogs using touchscreens in the home: a case study for assistance dogs operating emergency notification systems

Abstract

Medical alert dogs can save lives by alerting their human partners of impending seizures, diabetic crises, the presence of allergens, and other medical emergencies. Recent research has shown that dogs can also alert emergency services or family members through body-worn sensors. In the home, however, service dogs do not typically wear their service dog vests. In this study we show that dogs can be trained to operate touchscreens mounted in the home to alert in emergencies. We performed a home-based field study, training three medical alert dogs to perform a specific pattern of interactions with virtual objects randomly throughout the day on a cue. We showed that it is feasible for a dog to understand the task of locating the touchscreen from anywhere in the home and performing the alert interaction. We also report our training methods and challenges in creating fluency for the touchscreen alert interaction skill.