Dogs deployed by the US military may soon be fitted with augmented reality (AR) goggles.
The equipment will allow the dog handler to communicate commands remotely while performing tasks such as searching for explosive devices and hazardous materials or performing search and rescue operations.
Specially designed headsets, which regularly overlay specific information on a real-world image similar to AR goggles, are being developed in a project managed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) by the Seattle-based command site.
Currently, army dogs receive command from their handlers via physical gestures or laser pointers, but this means that the animal must see the entire handler. Commands can also be delivered remotely via an audio system, but setup is not always reliable.
Killing a dog with a pair of AR glasses will offer more freedom during activities in the area because the dog can then venture far beyond the current, limited area of operation. The animal will be trained to respond to the signals appearing on the display, while a fitted camera will provide a livestream to the remote handler.
A senior scientist at the Army Research Office, Drs. Stephen Lee, who is part of the ARL, stated in an article on the technology that the system would apparently perform a separate task for dogs.
"Augmented reality works differently for dogs than humans," Lee said. "AR will be used to command and signal dogs; It is not meant to interact with a dog like a human does. This new technology provides us with an important tool to communicate better with military working dogs. "
Dr. AJ Papers, who established the command site in 2017 with the aim of increasing communication between humans and animals, suggested that the technology could "fundamentally change how military canines are deployed in the future."
Pepper said the research team is still in the early stages of implementing the technology for use by dogs, but the results from the initial efforts were "extremely promising", adding that so far a lot of work has been done on their pets and birds. Are made with.
"His ability to normalize from other training to work through AR goggles has been incredible," he said.
The technology is currently being tested using a wired system, but the final design, which may be ready in a few years, will be wireless. A dog should not be trained. Pulling on goggles can be another challenge altogether.
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