A researcher at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, has developed a phone for dogs. The device, which seems to be taken from a movie and consists of a ball with an accelerometer that, upon registering movement, connects to a computer and launches a video call with the pet owner.
The dog phone project, called DogPhone, is led by Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas, a specialist in animal-machine interaction who has worked for years at the aforementioned university. The researcher says that this solution is focused on the needs of the dog and not on the owner.
The main idea of the dog phone is squid to pets that suffer from anxiety when they are left home alone. Although it is true that today there are a multitude of tools to talk with a dog from a distance – and even play with it – this device gives the animal control of the situation to call when needed.
The owner can choose whether or not to answer the call, as well as when to hang up. You can also call your pet, but the animal is the one who has to move the ball to answer . “This is just one way to show that dogs can control technology,” Hirskyj-Douglas tells The Guardian.
Zack, the first pet to test the dog phone
Credit: University of Glasgow As you can see from the pictures, the dog phone works on motion. When the animal shakes it, the call attempt is made. If the human answers, both can be seen and heard. However, on many occasions the pet may launch calls by mistake.
In a seven-day dog phone experimental phase, Douglas's dog Zack made a total of 35 calls, that is, he logged an average of about five a day. “Zack called me but he wasn't interested in our call, he was looking for things in his bed,” says Hirskyj-Douglas.
Although he had been shown how the dog phone system worked, the researchers are still unclear if Zack knew what he was doing . In any case, this project is only in its initial stages and those responsible are confident that this technology can bring benefits for pets.
