Technology for working dogs

Working dogs can perform many tasks that improve the lives of humans. An explosion of new technologies in Animal-Computer Interaction enable dogs to assist in a variety of scenarios. Dogs can summon emergency services, report finding a lost child, determine what explosive they just detected, alert to a tornado siren, and much more. Giving working dogs the ability to clearly communicate could be life-saving. Related technologies can measure aspects of a dog's behavior to assess temperament, predict training success, and even monitor health. The Georgia Tech Animal-Computer Interaction lab has been researching dog-centered interfaces since 2012. Our studies have included instrumented vests, touchscreens, and devices that provide new ways for dogs to communicate what they perceive to people around them. We have also researched instrumented dog toys for temperament analysis and health monitoring. For the ACI2018 demonstrations, we showcase the technologies we have developed for dogs and the new interactions these technologies enable.