Wearable technology for pets is growing in popularity almost as quickly as it is for humans. A number of fun and really handy new apps and innovative accessories are helping owners to track their pet’s activity levels, to better communicate through signalling, not to mention pet’s general health, and even their location with GPS. So below is a list of a few that are super popular right now with owners:
Whistle
Whistle\’s very sleeklooking little gadget attaches to your dog\’s collar and tracks their daily activity including exercise, play time and periods of rest. A great way to stay on top of your dog\’s health and fitness, the technology connects to your smart phone and provides daily report showing Fido\’s progress against goals on a handy dashboard. For pooches that love a bit of social petworking, you can share photo\’s and notes with other users and via social media. Whistle are also launching a wearable GPS for dogs in 2015, helping owners to locate lost pets.–
(Image sourced: whistle.com)
Fitbark
This bone shaped device allows you to track your dog\’s daily activity and compare it with breed specific guidelines; this flags up changes you might need to make to your dog\’s routine in order to get them in shape. Also ideal for doggies that spend time with walkers or carers, the Fitbark gives you a clear report on your smartphone of exactly what your dog\’s been sniffing around doing, which is easily shareable with your vet or pet health practitioner.
(Image sourced: Fitbark.com)
Wonderwoof
Wonderwoof is both a genius and fashionable app! This snazzy little bow tie and mobile app keeps you connected with your dog wherever they are. Great for city dogs, Wonderwoof shows you where your dog has been (if they\’ve been out with a dog walker) and how much daily exercise they\’ve done. It also helps you stay on top of your dog\’s health and maintenance; you can set reminders for medication like worming, flea and tick treatments, as well as vet visits and trips to the pooch pamper parlour.
(Image sourced: wondermento.com)
Voyce is marketed as a revolutionary breakthrough in doghuman communication, perhaps the ultimate wearable device of this sort is NoMoreWoof. Still in development, this is a canine EEG headset that monitors brain signals and provides suggestions in real time of what they might represent the dog is feeling.
In many ways, NoMoreWoof is emblematic of a desire characteristic of this emerging trend, which goes beyond the responsibility of care towards forming a greater bond with these animals, whose language we cannot speak but with whom nevertheless we share our lives with and who experience humanlike feelings and emotions. We may be more alike than we think, and therefore there may be huge opportunities to learn from them as they do from us.
These are are important issues to consider, particularly if an animal is expected to interact with technology for a purpose. For example, researchers at Georgia Tech developed a wearable harness– for searchandrescue dogs, providing the dog with a means to remotely signal their handler – such as when discovering a casualty – by pulling a tag on the harness.
In these cases it\’s vital that the animal understands at what point and how to operate the device in order to be able to do so when apart from their handle.
Image sourced: http://www.mongcz.com/wpcontent/uploads/2013/12/00169.jpg
