Posted on 11/01/2014 7:18:32 AM PDT by Brother Cracker
RALEIGH, N.C., - North Carolina researchers said they have created a dog harness outfitted with technology designed to ease interspecies communication with canines.
The North Carolina State University team said the harness includes technologies aimed at interpreting the body language signals used by dogs, as well as technologies designed to translate human language into signals the dogs will understand.
"We have a fully functional prototype, but we'll be refining the design as we explore more and more applications for the platform," said Dr. David Roberts, an assistant professor of computer science at the school and co-author of a paper on the team's work.*
The harness also bears temperature and heart-rate sensors that can give users information about the dog's emotional state, which can be useful in analyzing the stress levels of guide dogs and other service animals.
"This can help handlers identify and mitigate stress for the dogs, improving the length and quality of a dog's life," said Sean Mealin, a Ph.D. student and co-author of the paper. "It's an important issue. Particularly because guide dogs are bred and trained not to display signs of stress in their behavior."
The team said the technology could also have applications for search-and-rescue dogs with additional sensors to detect environmental factors such as gas leaks.
Most Labs have NO trouble communicating with most humans.
I will buy this if there is a foolproof way for dogs to communicate to humans when they are about to crap on the floor. Yeah, I know, sometimes they bark—but not always.
Sheeh, domestic dogs react to their masters through simple training and caring or lack of. Although most breeds DO have a natural affinity to humans, which is why I love dogs.
Still, as cute and responsive that a dog pet can be, they still have no sense of self. There is only one creature on this rock that understands that it exists - humans. Please don't preach to me about dolphins and chimps...they also don't know they exist as much as a 3 year old child doesn't know.
The same with my chihuahua. Body posture, vocalizations etc. He is very good at communication.
I don’t have any problem understanding my dogs.
My Jack Russell is standing outside looking up at me through the window wagging his tail and glancing down the yard. He wants me to come outside to see something.
Gotta go for a minute.
Uh, wouldn't that be called knowing your dogs needs and training? What does this technology do that simple reward training doesn't do? To many people project their human emotions on cute friendly dogs. I know because I've done the same projection. At the end of the day, a dog pet REACTS to his masters' output, some breeds more than others.
“We’re also very interested in addressing stress in working dogs, such as guide dogs for the blind,” says Sean Mealin, an NC State Ph.D. student and co-author of the paper. “We’re reliant on the physiological and behavioral sensors to give us a picture of the dog’s mental and emotional state.
“This can help handlers identify and mitigate stress for the dogs, improving the length and quality of a dog’s life,” Mealin adds. “It’s an important issue. Particularly because guide dogs are bred and trained not to display signs of stress in their behavior.”
http://news.ncsu.edu/2014/10/bozkurt-dogs-2014/
My dog is nine years old and people still think that he is a puppy. They tell me all the time that he looks like such a happy dog and he does. He has the perfect , stress free life, here in the middle of fifteen gated acres. The biggest thing that he has to contend with are a few deer and an occasional coyote.
I ALWAYS know what dogs are thinking. They either love me(99%) or they growl at me (1%). I won’t let the Scharpey (?) in my house. He’s ‘tarded.
As for chimps and dolphins, the experiment proves nothing just because they can recognize themselves in a mirror. So what do they think about that in their primitive minds? HEY, THAT'S ME, COOL. HEY, CHECK OUT WHAT I CAN DO! Hardly. They don't think, they react to that stimuli more than other mammals and correlate the mirror image with their actions. Doesn't mean they understand the connection.
It doesn't mean they think they are self-aware (a complex thought process that takes years for a human to understand), it just means they can recognize their bodies in a mirror. Put a banana beside them and they will stop looking at their mirror image. Animals are not sentient.
sentient: The state of consciousness whereby the individual has that quality which makes him capable of questioning his existence.
Still, I do believe that dogs can have a close affiliation with their owners. Call it love, closeness, affection, or any other adjective, but they are unaware that they exist in this universe. However, dogs ARE aware of good or bad treatment. Again, natural instincts.
Yes, and that is why police K-9's are so happy with their masters. They've been TRAINED not to have stress. Again, if the same German Shepard was in the hands of an evil sh*t who abused him, he would have stress. It's all training and human interaction. Dogs are not sentient creatures, BUT can be the most unconditional loving companions even more than humans. And that is why I love dogs over so many humans.
I disagree. Many animals are self aware and are able to think and plan. I only have experience with dogs, cats and horses, but I’m sure other species have the ability to reason.
I think a fair amount of intelligence has been bred into and out of domesticated animals. Intelligence has been bred into dogs and horses while intelligence has been diminished in cattle.
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