There are two reasons not to pet this very good boy: firstly, he’s virtual, so you can’t really interact with him. Secondly, he’s designed to teach humans about aggression in dogs, meaning you should probably stay away. This new technology is aimed at preventing future dog bites.
The University of Liverpool has released virtual reality technology aimed to teach humans the signs of aggressive behavior in dogs. This avoids the potential hazards associated with demonstrations in real dogs while providing a more interactive experience than images or cartoons.
This process began in 2013 when dog bites resulted in over 6,740 hospital admissions in the UK. As such, the University of Liverpool and its Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC), began working on VR to improve human to dog communication.
They wanted to showcase canine body language that tells a human to stay away. As you approach the virtual dog in VR, the pup’s body language begins to change with each step. Some signs of anxiety or aggression in dogs include lip licking, growling, panting, cowering, snarling, and teeth-baring.
The hope is that humans will stay away from real dogs who show these traits, thereby reducing the number of dog bites. In larger locations, like the United States, an estimated 4.5 million dog bites happen each year, and half of the victims are children.
This is especially important for people who run up to dogs without a second thought.
One former model is still on the road to recovery after being attacked by a husky at a bar in Colorado. She sustained extensive injuries to her face and needed eye surgery to correct the damage.
As a result of these incidences, the dog in question usually must be put down. At the very least, most dogs are tested for rabies or other infections that can spread to humans. However, it’s important to note that any dog could bite, regardless of illness. This is behavior is especially prevalent if a dog is territorial, injured, or is thrust into a new environment.
Dogs can also get a bad rap due to stereotypes of aggression. Pitbulls are known as an aggressive, biting breed, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. German shepherds are typified as police dogs. But when 60,000 police officers were assaulted in the U.S. in the last decade, the loyalty of a dog is often a necessity for proper protection.
However, the VR technology hopes to strengthen the relationships between the average Joe and the nervous pooch.
The current Dogs Trust technology is fairly cut and dry. There’s a blocky golden retriever-style dog that gradually becomes more aggressive the closer you move in. The VEC Visualization team leader, Iain Cant, hopes to improve the technology in the future.
“The next steps will look to enhance the detail within the immersive environment to ensure the simulation is as realistic as possible. Future developments will also show a wider range of dog behaviours and the dog’s reactions to user behaviour,” he notes.
This VR pup is indeed, a very good boy. Just let us know if we can toss him a couple virtual treats in the future.
