Pet Projects Benjamin Resner, Graduate Student Graduate Advisors: Assistant Professor Bruce Blumberg Visiting Professor Irene Pepperberg MIT Media Lab How Can Computer Technology Improve the Lives of Companion Animals?

Overview US Statistics: –60% household own pets –65% purchase Xmas gift for dog –Up to $6k / year for “doggie day care” –30 billion on pet supplies each year –30% say they are closer to dog than best friend –10% say they are closer to dog than spouse Yet there is no directed academic research how technology can improve the lives of animals

Design Methodology

Observe: –What pets do –Physiological & psychological modalities –How pets and owners interact Build devices that: –Facilitate & enhance observed behavior –Incorporate innate play pattern –Contain cues for pet to recognize similarity to source activity

Design Methodology Don’t –Take devices designed for humans and put them in front of an animal –Pursue an idea because it’s “funny” or “cute” –Lazily anthropomorphize Pets are a totally new “demographic”

Project Highlights InterPet Explorer And many many more: Serial Tracking, CatBatBot, ThinkTank, Tigers in Touch, BirdSitter, PolyGlot computer, RoboWren, Parrot GPS.

InterPet Explorer NOT teaching birds how to use the Internet Providing birds with an interactive electronic environment Preliminary results show birds are using device as intended

clicker train your dog over the internet WORK HOME Work Computer Home Computer Webcam Feeder Lonely Dog Internet

Show Video

Asymmetrical Interfaces Dog gets clicker sound, owner’s voice, food treats Human gets visual feedback, symbolic information Computer mediates between the two

Challenges Bandwidth –Video requires high bandwidth –Toys with sensors provide low-bandwidth info Latency –Timing essential to clicker training –Let computer evaluate trick performance –Owner still controls overall direction of training session

This man is interacting with his dog* * Using his web-enabled cellphone

Parting Thoughts Obvious: –Safety: Seat belt / airbags for pets –Cleanup: rollup pet seat covers Ask Yourselves: –Why not treat the dog as a passenger, not cargo? –How do pets experience cars? –Why do cats hate cars? For Example: –Retractable food & water bowls

The End Ben Resner poster in MAIN area