DogPhone: the new device that lets dogs video call their owners
It's been created to help ease pet separation anxiety
Last updated 17th Nov 2021
A new device called DogPhone has been created that lets dogs video call their owners.
Dogs can literally call their owners by picking up and shaking a ball fitted with a sensor that, when sensing movement, connects a video call to the device.
A product of Dr Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas of the University of Glasgow and colleagues from Aalto University in Finland, the DogPhone could help separation anxiety of pets who've gotten used to their owners being at home during the pandemic.
Dr Hirskyj-Douglas, who is a specialist in animal-computer interaction at the university's School of Computing Science, said: "There are hundreds of internet-connected 'smart toys' on the market that dog owners can buy for their pets.
"However, the vast majority of them are built with the needs of dog owners in mind, allowing them to observe or interact with their pets while away from home.
"Very few of them seem to consider what dogs themselves might want, or how technology might benefit them as living beings with thoughts and feelings of their own."
First of its kind technology
Dr Hirskyj-Douglas developed a prototype DogPhone by trying the technology out with her own dog, Zack.
Zack was given the ball containing the tech to play with for 16 days over three months, researchers said.
On several of the calls, the dog showed his owner his toys and approach the screen in a way which suggested he wanted to interact with her.
In response, Dr Hirskyj-Douglas showed Zack her surroundings, including her office and a street busker, which earned the dog's attention as his ears pricked up and he approached the screen.
However, researchers did say Zack made some "accidental calls" when falling asleep on his toy.
The results of the ongoing experiment between Zack and his owner are the focus of a new research paper at the 2021 ACM Interactive Surfaces and Spaces Conference in Lodz, Poland.
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