Animal Computer Interaction Research Papers (original) (raw)

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- by and +2
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- Interaction Design, Physical Computing, Animal Computer Interaction, Toy Design

Working dogs are dogs with one or more specific skills that enable them to perform essential tasks for humans. In this paper we examined motion gestures that working dogs could use to unambiguously communicate with their human companions. We analyzed these gestures in terms of true positives and propensity for false positives by comparing their dynamic time warping distances against a set of 'everyday gesture libraries' (EGL) representing their daily movements. We found four gestures that could be concretely defined, trained, and recognized. These gestures were recognized with 75-100% accuracy, and their false positive rate averaged to less than one per hour.

- by Giancarlo Valentin
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- Wearable Computing, Animal Computer Interaction

This paper presents a high-quality method of face
tracking dogs from a Human Computer Interaction
(HCI) standpoint. Dogs have continually been reported
to view television screens but there is diminutive
knowledge behind this phenomenon. Research here
brings forward the possibility of animals having
meaningful interaction with the TV screen and suggests
ways to possibly quantify and build methods to create
animal-computer-interaction.

This workshop is focused on the design of novel kinds of environmental enrichment for zoo-housed reptiles, using technology to support the development of interactive systems and devices for capturing data. Participants will work virtually in small groups to ideate, reflect on and develop concepts, using a ZooJam approach, which is similar to a game jam. Briefs for participants may include lizards, snakes, turtles and
crocodilians.

- by Fiona French and +2
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- Human Computer Interaction, Computer Assisted Language Learning, Human-Animal Relationships, Human-Animal Studies

The focus of Animal Computer Interaction (ACI) design has primarily targeted the utility of the design object, with emphasis often being on improving animal wellbeing, increasing animal productivity, or easing the tensions formed by incorporating animals into Human centered environments. The discipline has championed non-anthropocentric design, design that does not locate Human subjects at the center of the design process. ACI’s utilitarian approach is understandable and also mirrors many of the practices and methodologies within Human Computer Interaction; however it can marginalize other forms of Computer Interaction which could offer interesting reflections on animality and both the animal and human subject. This paper will broaden the consideration of ACI by reviewing a number of key examples of Game Design that focus on feline interaction and try to map some of the issues which arise when designing for cats as subjects.
This reflection leads to the proposal of ACI as a possible space for Critical or Speculative Design can be thought of as design practices which use designed objects to reflect on possible and plausible futures and the creation of designs as critical objects. By replacing the human in a number of design scenarios, new configurations of the design subject and design object can be produced to open spaces for critical reflection.

- by Alan Hook
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- Video Games, Animals and Animality, Critical Design, Animal Computer Interaction

ABSTRACT This project investigates the potential for designing playful cognitive enrichment activities for captive elephants. We explore the usefulness of applying conceptual frameworks from HCI and game design to the problem of developing species-specific smart toys that promote natural behaviour and provide stimulation. Available: doc.gold.ac.uk/aisb50/AISB50-S14/AISB50-S14-French-extabst.pdf

- by Neil Smith
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- Interaction Design, Physical Computing, Animal Computer Interaction, Toy Design

We present two case studies on creating wearables for dogs and discuss them in terms of challenges of safety, space, weight and comfort, that motivated them. You can use these case studies and our design process as a practical primer for... more

This paper describes the development and application of a
non-human animal persona in designing to support cooperative and free-range animal agriculture. This work is
grounded in case study research of a small free-range egg
farm, through which field and interview work were
undertaken. We demonstrate how existing user-centred
design tools, such as the persona, can be used to better
reflect co-operative farming philosophies and more
meaningfully represent both farmer and animal
stakeholders within the design process. This approach is
theoretically orientated within sustainable HCI and
Animal Computer Interaction (ACI), which is itself an
extension of HCI. The species-specific persona of a
chicken allows representation and ensures that the animal,
which is made deliberately invisible within factory and
intensive farming, is made visible through and within the
design of an online system. By making explicit the
implicit assumptions we hold about an animal, such
personas provide a tool for thinking, design, and further
discussion.

- by Jessica Frawley
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- Interaction Design, Design Research, HCI, Animal Computer Interaction

This research uses HCI (Human-Computer-Interaction) usercentric approach to help develop pet dog species appropriate visual/audio stimuli. This is evaluated using Ground Theory Methodology (GTM), User Centered Design (UCD), Developmentally Situated Design (DSD) and User Centered Situated Design (UCSD) to improve Animal Computer Interaction Design (ACID). This generated animal centered design, solving usability problems within design, giving insight into dogs’ cognitive model and investigate a GTM and ACID hypothesis framework.

- by Fiona French
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- Interspecies Communication, HCI, Animal play, Animal communication

This project investigates the potential for designing playful cognitive enrichment activities for captive elephants. We explore the usefulness of applying conceptual frameworks from HCI and game design to the problem of developing... more

- by Helen Sharp
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- Interaction Design, Physical Computing, Animal Computer Interaction, Toy Design

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. All in-text references underlined in blue are linked to publications on ResearchGate, letting you access and read them immediately. Abstract This workshop will explore research into interactive and digital technologies in zoos, aquariums and wildlife parks. Such sites are making increasing use of technology in their work to foster educational, emotional and entertaining connections between visitors and animals, with the goal of transforming attitudes to wildlife and conservation. Bringing together HCI researchers with interests in zoos (as a design context) and animals (as a design user), as well as animal welfare and behavior experts, this workshop will further our understanding of what it means to design and use technology in this space at the intersection of the human and animal worlds.

- by Fiona French
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- Animal Computer Interaction

Advancements in personal data collection and visualization – commonly referred to as the quantified self (QS) movement – allow individuals to self-track health and other attributes. We extend quantified self (QS) concepts to the quantified other (QO) to explore how the use of technology, collection of data on one's pet dog, and personal visualization affect pet owners' understandings of, and relationships with, their pets. We introduce the term Human–pet–computer interaction (HPCI) as the study of how technology can be designed and used to advance human–pet companionships. As an example, we describe CompanionViz, a personal information visualization prototype designed to inform pet owners on their dogs' caloric inputs/outputs, as well as exercise and movement habits. We present a user study of CompanionViz featuring a twelve-participant survey and one field study, consisting of three unique use cases, and show that by providing pet owners with quantifiable awareness of their dogs' health and exercise habits using personal visual representations, pet owner–dog bonds can benefit.

- by Patrick C Shih
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- Human-Animal Relations, Animal Behavior, Animal Welfare, Human-Animal Studies

This research is investigating the potential for designing digital toys and games as playful cognitive enrichment activities for captive elephants. The new field of Animal Computer Interaction is exploring a range of approaches to the problem of designing user-centred systems for animals and this investigation into devices for elephants aims to directly contribute towards a methodological approach for designing smart and playful enrichment for all species.

- by Clara Mancini and +1
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- Animal Computer Interaction

This workshop will allow participants to work together to devise novel forms of technically enhanced enrichment for farm animals. It will take the format of a gamejam, whereby teams will be given clear briefs, they will brainstorm... more

- by Fiona French and +1
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- Farm Animal Welfare, Environmental enrichment, Animal Computer Interaction

This case study describes our progress towards the goal of providing technology-enhanced enrichment for an Asian elephant so that she can exercise choice and control. We offer guidelines for developers to show how interaction design with... more

Technology (digital or otherwise) is a great enabler; it bridges gaps and opens doors and, in the process, alters the reality within which it and its users exist. As technology aimed at non-human animals is becoming commonplace, questions about its efficacy and the ethical implications of its use are becoming ever more pertinent. To explore these issues, we conducted a workshop in which speculative design was used as a means of debating ways through which play, a widespread phenomenon across animal species, can be used as a tool for enabling interspecies communication. We describe the context for this discussion, the methods used, and present a set of speculative designs that illustrate aspects of ethics, equality, and appropriate play in order to provoke further reflection and discussion.

- by Fiona French
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- Animal Ethics, Animal play, Animal Computer Interaction, Speculative Design

This workshop is designed to offer participants an opportunity to explore different kinds of auditory enrichment for a range of animals in different environments. Teams of participants will work together on a small set of briefs provided by domain experts, brainstorming ideas and developing concepts into well-designed blueprints for prototype devices. The day will be organized along the lines of a traditional gamejam.

- by Fiona French and +1
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- Physical Computing, Environmental enrichment, Animal Computer Interaction, Acoustic Design

We explored symbolic canine-human communication for working dogs through the use of canine head gestures. We identified a set of seven criteria for selecting head gestures and identified the first four deserving further experimentation. We devised computationally inexpensive mechanisms to prototype the live system from a motion sensor on the dog's collar. Each detected gesture is paired with a predetermined message that is voiced to the humans by a smart phone. We examined the system and proposed gestures in two experiments, one indoors and one outdoors. Experiment A examined both gesture detection accuracy and a dog's ability to perform the gestures using a predetermined routine of cues. Experiment B examined the accuracy of this system on two outdoor working-dog scenarios. The detection mechanism we presented is sufficient to point to improvements into system design and provide valuable insights into which gestures fulfill the seven minimum criteria.

In this position paper, we discuss the potential for cross-fertilization between the disciplines of animal-computer interaction (ACI) and cultural anthropology. Through an analysis of the animal-technology-human triad in the Western familial and domestic context, we argue for a more systematic grounding of ACI in anthropology and in particular, inclusion of anthropological perspectives in ACI’s multidisciplinary discourse. This can lead to new insights into how culture affects animal-human-technology
interactions and relationships, as well as how it can be shaped by them.

This one-day workshop examined how we might use technologies to support design for playful interspecies communication and considered some of the potential implications. We explored aspects of playful technology and reflected on what opportunities computers can provide for facilitating communication between species. The workshop's focal activity was the co-creation of some imaginary systems designed for specific multi-species scenarios. Through our activities, we aim to question and pave the way for designing technology that promotes interspecies communication, drawing input not only from ACI practitioners but also from those of the broader HCI and animal science community, who are often stakeholders in facilitating, expanding, and/or redefining playful technology.

- by Fiona French
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- Interspecies Communication, HCI, Animal play, Animal communication
- by Helen Sharp
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- Interaction Design, Physical Computing, Animal Computer Interaction, Toy Design
- by marc böhlen
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- Robotics, Art, Intelligent Control, Navigation

This workshop explores different ways to use technology to facilitate hunting behaviour enrichment for zoo-housed animals and parallel gaming experiences for zoo visitors.

- by Fiona French and +2
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- Participatory Design, Research Through Design, Animal behaviour and predator prey relationships, Environmental enrichment

This case study describes approaches to the challenge of designing interfaces for an elephant that enable her to control playful systems in her enclosure, for the purpose of enriching her environment. Our contribution to the symposium will showcase the progress of the enrichment toys and explain in detail how we have collected feedback during participatory design sessions with our play-tester Valli, a female Asian elephant. We have attempted to gain information about her enthusiasm for interacting with different systems and also establish how effectively she can use different interfaces by measuring her responses during the sessions.

- by Fiona French and +1
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- Animal Computer Interaction

This paper presents a topology for defining the level of
participation within Animal Computer Interaction (ACI)
adapted from Hart’s Ladder Model of Youth Participation
[1]. Dogs have continually been included within ACI
design with varying participatory roles. This paper aims
to define dogs’ participation according to their ability to
participate. A model containing four rungs is presented
and then explored in terms of increasing dogs’
participation within ACI design.

- by Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas and +1
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- Human Computer Interaction, Animal Computer Interaction, Harts Ladder

Typically, the animal world has been used conceptually by roboticists as a source of inspiration for finding new approaches to efficient locomotion, perception and intelligent control [Brooks, 1991], [Hallam and Walker, 1993], [Aloimonos, 1997]. This paper explores the question of designing a robot to share a space with a simple animal. A series of experiments between a mobile robot and three chickens in a cage are described. Techniques are described to mechanically reduce chickens' anxiety towards moving machinery. A model of interaction between animals and machines is proposed. These insights are then placed into a wider context of robot design

- by Fiona French
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- Animal Computer Interaction

The Animal Computer Interaction (ACI) research field has been developing alongside an upsurge in the development of home technology for dogs. While there is a whole TV channel supplying videos for dogs, with many documented studies of dogs watching TV, tablets and computer screens, there has hitherto been no investigation into whether a dog can choose between, and follow, what to watch. This skill is a necessity if an interactive system is to be built requiring a choice. This paper presents a tracking method and results, based on a previously built dog head tracker, which monitors the dogs attention between three screens. The results are then discussed to see if a dog is able to choose what video to watch between three screens with comments on screen preference, video choice and interaction analysis. The study demonstrated that the method yielded useful data, the dog was seen to attend mainly to a favoured screen (left and center in this case) and three of the videos appeared to be preferred over the others.

- by Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas
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- Animal Computer Interaction
- by Helen Sharp
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- Cognitive Science, Research Through Design, Elephants, Animal Computer Interaction
- by M. Jackson
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- Information Systems, Cognitive Science, Wearable Computing, Wearable Technology

Working dogs have improved the lives of thousands of people throughout history. However, communication between human and canine partners is currently limited. The main goal of the FIDO project is to research fundamental aspects of wearable technologies to support communication between working dogs and their handlers. In this study, the FIDO team investigated on-body interfaces for dogs in the form of wearable technology integrated into assistance dog vests. We created five different sensors that dogs could activate based on natural dog behaviors such as biting, tugging, and nose touches. We then tested the sensors on-body with eight dogs previously trained for a variety of occupations and compared their effectiveness in several dimensions. We were able to demonstrate that it is possible to create wearable sensors that dogs can reliably activate on command, and to determine cognitive and physical factors that affect dogs' success with body–worn interaction technology.

- by Giancarlo Valentin
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- Wearable Computing, Animal Computer Interaction

- by Clara Mancini
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- Animal Computer Interaction
- by Melody Jackson
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- Wearable Computing, Gesture Recognition, Animal Computer Interaction

This study examines the joint walking of people and dogs in the city, as an embodied practice mediated by a designed artifact - the leash. Shared walking of humans and dogs is not merely a form of spatial movement but also constitutes power relations. It assembles the dis/ability of an entity to move, choose its direction, rhythm or duration of movement. These complexities manifest through different forms of communication which usually remain unrecognized due to anthropocentric point of view. Based on multidisciplinary research conducted in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel that was comprised of anthropological fieldwork and professional knowledge of dog behavior, we prove two main assertions. First, we refute the misconception that people gain exclusive control over dogs' movement and behavior by restraining them with a leash. Rather, we demonstrate that the leash creates a bi-directional medium of communication between humans and dogs. Second, we present the dog-leash-human unit as an entity in the social and spatial urban environment and its agency, as a whole, as well as each of its components. Thus, by investigating dog-leash-human movement we wish to contribute to the ACI body of knowledge dealing with multispecies nonverbal communication artifacts. Furthermore, delving into the multiple dog-leash-human entanglements can shed light on ACI aspirations to forge a user-centered non-anthropocentric research method.

- by Orit Hirsch-Matsioulas
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- Material Culture Studies, Actor Network Theory, Urban Studies, Dogs

We present a study of a wearable alert system for mobility-assistance dogs. Our focus in this study is on assessing both interface and dog activation reliability for the purpose of understanding both system and dog training challenges. We improve on the results from previous work in each of four performance metrics and we present solutions to some practical issues necessary for achieving more reliable and consistent experimental results. We also interviewed active service dog users concerning technical, social and canine considerations, the results of which may inform future studies.

- by Giancarlo Valentin
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- Wearable Computing, Animal Computer Interaction