Remote control dog

Thanks to a special saddle, the trainer can send a dog to search for drugs, deliver bullets to soldiers on the battlefield or save earthquake victims without having to stand near animals.

Scientists tested the remote control system with a dog named Major.
( Photo: Auburn University )

Professional dogs are smart enough to look for bombs, drugs or crossroads. However, they can only do that when there are people nearby or see the owner. Now researchers at Auburn University in Alabama, USA create a system that can help people manipulate professional dogs without standing near them, Discovery News reports.

' With our system you won't have to be by the side of the dog or in their vision to order, ' said David M. Bevly, professor of mechanical engineering at Auburn University.

Some studies of previous animal control systems focused on other animals, not dogs, and scientists had to implant electrodes into their bodies to take orders. Bevly and colleagues created a real-time navigation system for trained dogs. This system is outside the dog's body.

Their system consists of a set of dog saddles fitted with a global positioning device, a number of sensors, a microprocessor and a radio modem capable of wirelessly connecting to the computer. All those things are put on the dog's back. It vibrates slightly to the right or left, and sounds to control the animal.

The team tested the system on the back of a dog called Major on the Auburn University campus. The results show that, when receiving orders to several points away from the original location several hundred meters, Major to the right destination in most cases. Specifically, the success rate of the dog is 80%, and the computer accuracy in order is 99%.

In the next study, the team will test the control system at a distance of several kilometers and with more complex tasks. They consider the system to be of great significance in the military, security and executive fields.

' If I find a way to find out where the criminals are hiding drugs, of course I can't let them know that I'm leading the dog to search. But if you only see the dog, they won't think he's looking for drugs , 'Bevly said.

When wearing the control system, the dog can deliver medicine and bullets to soldiers when they are fighting. A trainer can control dozens of dogs at the same time as they run around the airport to check their luggage.

' With the control system on the back, the professional dogs can perform their tasks in all terrains, every situation without having people around. That ability increases the efficiency of the dogs, 'said Alan Poling, a psychology professor at Western Michigan University in the US. Poling did not participate in Auburn University research but was investigating the possibility of detecting large African kangaroos.