TRENDS
engineer with a background in biology, identified
specific patterns that corresponded to emotional
states—like happiness and concentration—and
created software within the collar that uses an
algorithm to determine a dog’s current mood based
on that data.
Once the data is processed, LED bulbs in the
collar change color to indicate which emotion the
dog is feeling, such as deep blue (for most calm) to
bright red (for most excited), thereby transforming
your dog into a canine glow stick at the dog park.
Yamaguchi’s device—which was sparked by his
desire to better understand his corgi Akane—also
boasts a 12-hour battery life, charges by USB, and
comes in a range of sizes.
Researchers at Georgia Tech’s Animal-
Computer Interaction Lab are taking this canine
“communication” a bit further by developing a
computerized talking vest that enables your dog to
speak on your behalf or “tell” other people when their
owners need help.
The vest is shaped like a standard dog harness
and contains a tiny computer and sensors located
on the side of the harness that are activated when
the dog presses them. For example, if a dog heard
the doorbell ring, he could use his wet nose to press
the designated sensor on the vest, which would then
prompt a human voice on the vest to yell out: “I heard
the doorbell ring!” The vest also sends text alerts to
an owner’s smartphone, which would be especially
helpful to a dog owner who is hearing impaired.
It may sound far-fetched to think we could
actually talk to our dogs one day, but with various
AI innovations coming to fruition, we may be
eavesdropping on animal conversations in no time
at all. ■
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PHOTO BY ROB FELT / GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Computerized talking vest developed by researchers at Georgia Tech’s Animal-Computer Interaction Lab.