Jeff Miller and David Bevly, engineers at Auburn University, have developed a unique technology specifically for man’s best friend — a remote controlled steering system.
The pack attached to the dog above consists of a microprocessor, wireless radio, GPS receiver, plus an attitude and heading reference system. Additionally, there is a command module that delivers vibrational and audio tone cues, both of which the dog has previously been trained to respond to.
When Miller and Bevly tested out the K9 technology in structured and unstructured environments, they found a success rate of 87%.
Worth noting is the fact that the entire system operates autonomously; that is, it guides dogs to pre-established GPS points. If need be, though, the system can be overridden and used to relay commands sent by a human in real time.
Now, while there’s certainly some wow factor to the duo’s ingenuity, there is a point to all of it — the pack is intended for use in situations where the dog’s handler is physically unable to travel with the animal (e.g. rescue situations), or where the surrounding environment is too loud for the dog to hear its handler’s commands.
Miller and Bevly even anticipate the technology one day being used to direct human first responders when travelling in hazardous environments, or to guide the visually impaired.
To learn more about the technology, read the duo’s paper at inderscience.com
Story via gizmag.com
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