Combat dogs are often used in the military for ages and have been an important role. They can scout ahead for explosives and other hazards, but they need instructions from their handlers. The goggles are made by a company named Command Sight, which is managed by the US Army Research Laboratory. They are designed to let their handlers lead them safely out of harm’s way. It’s always heartbreaking to see combat dogs losing their lives during missions; with this new technology, the risks of losing combat dogs would lower a lot. The goggle isn’t only a displayer, but also a camera where the handler can see what the combat dog is seeing. Inside the goggles, the dogs can see a visual indicator that they can be trained to follow, directing them to a specific spot. The AR works differently for dogs than for humans; each set of goggles would fit each dog specifically.
This is an awesome idea that I would love to see implemented all around. It is definitely sad to think that dogs are risking their lives and potentially dying to help out their military soldiers. Even though they are not human, they are still a living being and their life should definitely be valued. If these combat goggles can help increase the survival rate of dogs while they partake in a military mission then that is great and very ethical. Obviously, dogs are very important since their noses are so much better than ours, so they can really help save the lives of many soldiers by detecting a bomb or explosive nearby. Also, many of these dogs definitely develop bonds with the military soldiers which are valuable and necessary during missions, so it is not like they are just replaceable since these dogs require extensive training. Overall, dogs lives are valuable and very important especially to the military since their dogs have very special skills, which is why these goggles are a spectacular invention and will really help benefit both the dogs and their military owners.
Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-54465361
I found this post really interesting. I was dumbfounded to learn that dogs can wear VR goggles. It is definitely an idea that could potentially save a lot of dog lives. Humans wear VR goggles for games, but this use can be the difference between life and death for the dogs. I found out that the way the goggles work is by giving the dog commands and cues. An example of this is what would appear to be a laser pointer for the dog to follow. I find this really interesting because it comes off as a way to control the dog. I interpreted it as if someone is controlling a robot and now people will be entering inputs into the VR system to try and control the dog. It can definitely be helpful, but it seems a little strange right now.
Source: https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2020/10/14/augmented-reality-for-military-dogs-change-how-handlers-can-deploy-canine-battle-buddies/
The idea of AR technology for combat dogs is very helpful. I agree that it could definitely be saddening to see a dog lose its life during a mission. Having these goggles for dogs specifically could help them not only train accordingly and see where they are instructed by their handlers. Having combat dogs being trained to sniff out any potential threat and having this type of technology for dogs in particular does come in handy. For example, some handlers and their handlers to tend to create a bond whether we like it or not, and having to think of a combat dog pass away to an incident they were sent to is tragic. Therefore, these goggles will be helpful to both human and dogs especially.
I think the goggles are a great invention. According to the abc NEWS, combat dogs are “trained from an early age to perform often dangerous tasks, including sniffing out contraband and explosives, tracking down missing people”, which means they are exposed to a lot of danger. The goggles can protect dogs to some extent and prevent them from being hurt more. The life value of animals and human beings should be equal, now that people let dogs do the dangerous things that are supposed to be done by soldiers, then they have to make sure that they minimize any possible damage to the dog. The goggles are undoubtedly good things to protect the dogs.
But it also brings some problems. The combat dogs have to spend a lot of time on work, wearing goggles for a long time may make them uncomfortable. Also, after all, dogs and humans are not the same kind of animal, the dogs have their own psychological nature and biological nature.This means that the human mind cannot be replicated exactly in dogs, which can possibly put a lot of stress on the dogs. So I think not every combat dog is suited to the goggles, people should use these goggles carefully according to each combat dog’s situation.
My source: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/military-dog-injured-al-baghdadi-raid/story?id=66592479
There is really good intent behind this innovation. After doing some research, it is clear that these goggles can provide a lot more insight when it comes to deploying dogs in the future, especially in the military. It is sad that dogs live’s are lost during missions while detecting explosives and searching for targets to accompanying infantry patrols in dangerous areas. These goggles would also let handlers operate from a distance and still give the dogs directions and cues. The camera is also beneficial- transmitting live footage, making the dogs view visible to anyone. Also, if this technology is able to lower the death rate of military dogs that only makes it even better. My only concern like with any technology, is the chance of it being hacked or used against the intended purpose.
https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/9/21509181/us-army-augmented-reality-ar-goggles-dogs-military
This could potentially be a great technology to help dogs. Recently a Navy SEAL team took down an ISIS leader using a dog and this technology would be great for the handler to be able to keep track of the dog and if the dog is in immediate danger. A big problem with this technology would be the AR visuals because a lot of dogs do not take notice of seeing things virtually, like things on a TV. I don’t know if handlers know of a consistent way of getting dogs to be able to notice things virtually that they otherwise would ignore. Combat dogs go through very extensive training and for Navy SEAL dogs they have to pass a physical examination that predicts if they will have any medical/physical problems for 10 years which is pretty tough as dogs usually live about 15 years, and German Shepherds tend to have hip problems. The technology would be great but could also make training become even more expensive and hard for the dogs and the handlers if they have to be able to work with the AR goggles as a requirement.
Link: https://futurism.com/the-byte/us-military-developed-augmented-reality-goggles-dogs
I think this idea is cool, but has some potential to be harmful. Dogs are used because they have a keen sense of smell. Alternative Reality is great for training people on vision and motion awareness, but from what I can tell, smell hasn’t been able to be achieved. Additionally, dogs tend to have worse visions than humans. This technology would essentially allow dogs to see, relying on only vision to navigate around tough situations. When it comes time for an actual scenario, dogs would be at a disadvantage because they wont be able to see as well, instead they will have to rely on smells all over again, which may be out of sync due to the AR training only promoting vision.
I am sure there are some upsides to this technology, but I don’t see how they can outweigh the downsides. I think it is cool departments are experimenting with this technology, but I think that it could be unlikely that it would be a widespread device.
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-54465361
Personally, I think this is an incredible invention. Not only will it help the military gain a better, safer understanding of their surroundings, but makes the jobs that combat dogs perform a lot safer. In my opinion, the use of combat dogs in the military was saddening. These dogs were basically being used almost as a “test subject” basically so their leaders don’t get killed when looking for bombs and other related things. This is very inhumane, but these goggles fix that. The combat dogs leader can see what they see, also keeping toe dogs out of harms way, which is a much safer, humane way of using combat dogs. I found this article that accurately explains the goggles, who invented them, and how they are being tested that is worth reading.
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-54465361
This technology is a great example of how dogs and the military can benefit from each other. As time goes on, I think humans will learn more ways we can benefit from dogs. I saw a recent article talking about how dogs are being trained to smell the Coronavirus at airports. I do not know if this is true but shows how humans still trying to find ways to use dogs for their benefit.
I think this is a great piece of technology, and is one that will be beneficial to helping dogs from getting killed in combat. Most of the times, to be blunt, dogs are used in combat in situations where they don’t want to risk a humans life, so they send in a dog to check out what is happening and if there are explosives. This technology could help prevent dogs from being used in situations where we don’t want to risk a human live, and also could save the dogs life too. Dogs are already extremely intelligent and can sense and smell stuff we would have no chance of smelling. This would only enhance the dogs ability to be able to do this, and we lead to more successful missions, and lose of dogs in combat. I think this a great piece of technology and should be put to use as soon as it is ready.
This was a very interesting topic to learn about. I think so often I only think about technology helping humans, not dogs. I have always wondered how to they train a dog so well to do what they do in war. I think that this is a huge milestone for combat dogs. Dogs are an essential part of combat and I think that this will make them even more powerful. I cant help but to think of all the lives that this technology will save. This can be a gateway to training dogs to be even more helpful aside from just combat dogs. I think about the service dogs that are used to help people. If this was used to help train a service dog it could make them even more helpful. I feel as though this type of technology would be so important to put on a puppy. If they grow up using the AR technology they will learn quicker and be more experienced. This brings me to the question, will the dog know the difference between real combat and the combat he/she sees on the AR goggles.
I feel like this piece of hardware would be really helpful and cost-efficient in the long run when training combat dogs. This will undoubtedly cause regulation and standardization of training with combat dogs which could potentially make them more reliable in the future with consistency. I also would like to see this product to be mass tested to see its effectiveness on the battlefield where it can be truly useful. The advent of training through technology will definitely help with the training process and management. This subject would also relate to the Internet of Things which was discussed in class. The goggles will now be essentially connected to the internet where the results are recorded on training sessions. This leads more and more to a world of the Internet where everything is connected to the internet in some way. I can definitely see this as a viable alternative to the original and traditional method of training, and I won’t be surprised if this caught on for normal use in the military and police force.
I think this new technology is great! I think something like this could save many lives (dogs and human) in ways that were never thought of before. I think one of the most interesting things to note about this new gadget is the fact that the owner would be able to see exactly what the dog is seeing; this meaning, any small places a human would not be able to get into and see, the combat dog could see/do this job for them.
I also think it is important to note that the goggles itself are not new, but the technology within the goggles are. So, since combat dogs are already used to wearing the goggles (for protective purposes), it makes this an easy adjustment for everyone in combat. Since tthe goggles have been worn many times before, this also means that the goggles are safe for the dogs to wear in any situation they may be put in.
After reading the article it also stated that they are trying to recreate this as a wireless device; this way there would not be such heavy/protruding gear that the dog would have to carry around at all times. I would definitely be interested to see how they make this device wireless and what other changes/advances they would make to it. Overall I think this is a really intelligent idea, and it could benefit many.
Source:
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-54465361
I think that the protection of animals that help serve for the safety of others is very important. Making sure that the animals have the best protection and maintaining their safety should be the upmost care. These animals do tasks that are dangerous and that humans may not even be able to complete. I feel like it is our duty to make sure these specially trained animals are treated with respect and cared for responsibly and as equally as their human counterparts and colleagues. This technology is perfect for training the dogs and helping them scout for explosives and other potentially harmful devices. This tech helps to not only keep us safe but also the dogs putting in the perilous work that retains the overall safety.
I think this kind of technology is very interesting and will be very helpful during combat. I think this can be very helpful and could potentially save many human and dog lives. But these goggles to me maybe concerning; yes they are helpful to the dog’s partner being able to see what the dog is seeing ahead of him. However, how well can the dog see out of these goggles? what if in the middle of combat the goggles move a little bit and the dog cannot see. This could possibly cause more harm them good for the dogs if they cannot see where they are going until their partner finds them and fixes them.
I never knew this type of technology existed until now. It’s great how they now have this invention that can help minimize the amount of deaths for both military dogs and humans.
As you mentioned earlier about the goggles working differently for dogs then with humans, I found an article written by the U.S. military that states how the goggles provide dogs with cues and commands rather than actually interacting with it. Technology like this honestly amazes me because it can save so many lives.
https://www.army.mil/article/239705/ar_dog_goggles_could_help_protect_soldiers
I think this is a really cool idea and if it works right can be very effective. I hate hearing news stories about combat dogs that are lost so hopefully these can prevent that. I have some concerns about the practicality of these though. How will these dogs react to having to wear these all the time and will it affect their brains and eyes in anyway? I know for sure my dog would be scratching his face trying to get it off but these dogs are the best of the best so hopefully they can learn to use them. Technology such as this amazes me and its awesome how it is not just humans benefiting from it if it works properly.
source: https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-army-is-testing-ar-goggles-for-dogs/
I really like the idea behind these goggles. I think it is going save a significant amount of human and military dog lives in the future. We hear so many terrible stories about roadside bombs, and different harmful things harming our troops and dogs. It’s always saddening to hear these stories, and if these goggles on some highly talented and highly trained dogs can eliminate these stories, that would be revolutionary. I think if these goggles could get cleared for use, that would be amazing and I would be fully supportive of this idea. The idea that this technology can be used to save lives just amazes me.