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Vibrating vest gives blind dog 'a second set of eyes' | While designed for one dog in particular, the team hopes the new vest system will eventually help thousands of blind dogs better navigate their world
A team of researchers at Rice University has developed a haptic feedback vest and camera system for a blind dog known as Kunde. The vest helps guide the dog through daily obstacles and the hope is that it will soon do the same for other pups.
The cameras – which are much cheaper than the LiDAR system – take in information about obstacles in the dog's path and then send signals to small actuator motors in the vest that vibrate accordingly. “We had to figure out how to embed electronics into a wearable vest that’s breathable, soft and rugged enough for a dog who loves to play,” says team member Cristiana De Sousa, a junior mechanical engineering student. The team hopes to apply the learnings from working with Kunde to a successful navigation system that could eventually help other blind dogs thrive in their environments.
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