We’re one step closer to understanding man’s best friend on an emotional level thanks to David Roberts, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, with a project he calls “the future of canine computing.”

Roberts, along with a research team at NC State, are working toward creating a harness that would allow for more accurate interactions between man and dog.

“Humans and dogs communicate very differently by nature,” Roberts said. “A huge benefit to technology like this is the ability to translate natural dog communication into something that is more easily interpretable and actionable for dog owners.” 

Roberts was sent down the path of discovery and development after he adopted his very first dog in grad school. 

“I wanted to be able to understand my dog better,” Roberts said. “So I started to invent all sorts of mathematical arguments in my head to understand what it was that my dog was doing and why.” 

The harness, which is still in the prototype stage, is equipped with different types of technology, including an accelerometer, heart and respiratory monitors aimed at monitoring the dog’s environmental and physiological state. 

“Looking at the data collected from these technologies, we can determine the dog’s posture, movement and behavior,” Roberts said. “We can also start to characterize things like emotional responses.”

The harness also features a speaker and eight vibrating motors, similar to the ones found in cellphones. These devices are used to verbally and physically communicate with the dogs wearing the harness. 

“When your phone is on vibrate, you are able to tell if it’s in your right front or your back right pocket based on where you feel the vibration,” Roberts said. “A dog has this same ability, and we can train the dog based on where they feel the vibration to do something different.”

Roberts stressed that this means of communicating with the dog is not aversive. 

“This is not painful. This is not a punishment,” Roberts said. “Everything we do with dogs is very positive. There is lots of food, awards and affection for participation. We are explicitly trying to identify and eliminate stress in dogs.”

Once perfected, Roberts hopes that this harness will aid working dogs in the military and law enforcement as well as service dogs and family pets. 

Callie Scott, of Raleigh, has been accompanied by her guide dog, Mullins, since she was in elementary school. 

“I have a visual impairment. Mullins helps me see,” Scott said. “Dogs typically communicate their feelings through appearance. This makes it especially hard for me to intemperate how Mullins is feeling.”

Scott said having an alternative way to tell if Mullins is fearful, stressed or even bored would only benefit the relationship she has with her invaluable pup. 

“Mullins helps me out every day,” Scott said. “I’d give anything to return that favor, and I think understanding his emotions would help me do that”. 

As far as how these emotions will be relayed back to dog owners, Roberts said he and his team are still investigating approaches that will allow people with and without disabilities to maintain awareness of their dogs without being exposed to a big cognitive load. 

“There is a balance that has to be struck between the amount of information we can provide and providing it in such a way that is doesn’t interrupt daily activities and is easily understood,” Roberts said. “We also want the data to be relayed in such a way that is actionable and allows people to make quick and intelligent decisions about their dogs.”

His team has been experimenting with a smartphone app, text message alerts, as well as a speaker on the dog’s harness that could be prompted to say how the dog is feeling. 

Roberts said that while he and his team are giving dogs a new voice, it is important to note that their research is not reflective of the K9 character, Dug, in the 2009 Disney movie “Up.”

“At a very high level, yes. That is what we are doing,” Roberts said. “But, in reality dogs just don’t have the brain function to be able to communicate on that level. We are looking at data about the dog’s physiology, its behavior, and then interpreting what that is saying and communicating it back to the human.”

In 2013, the National Science Foundation awarded the team with a $1 million dollar grant. Roberts said that while he and his team are two-thirds of the way through their three-year project, he views canine computing as a career long research agenda. 

“There are so many interesting questions to ask in this space,” Roberts said. “We are really just starting to scratch the surface.”