Wearable computing for canines enables dog-to-human communication

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are developing a wearable computing device intended to help dogs communicate crucial information more clearly to their handlers or owners, according to a report in the MIT Technology Review.

The FIDO system, which stands for "facilitating interactions for dogs with occupations", equips a sensor device to the dog's collar or vest.

The team, which includes Google Glass technical lead Thad Starner, tested sensors allowing dogs to communicate by either biting, tugging or putting their mouth nearby.

The researchers believe the device could enable bomb-sniffing dogs to communicate remotely convey the specific type of bombs they've encountered.

Once the sensor is triggered, a verbal command can be sent to their handler's earpiece or heads-up display.

The device is currently still underdevelopment and the team's preliminary findings will be presented at the International Semantic Web Conference in October.