The collar provides information on activity levels, light, temperature, sounds and barking.<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Roberts says the smart collars are being used by Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a nonprofit organization that provides service dogs for those with vision impairment and other disabilities. The early monitoring is important because Guiding Eyes can invest up to $50,000 and two years in a potential guide dog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lorraine Trapani, volunteer puppy raiser with Guiding Eyes, says the smart collar system has helped to improve success rates overall. \u201cThe insights Guiding Eyes receives from the data help make more guide dogs available to those who need them,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Roberts and Bozkurt hope to eventually include other kinds of service animals\u2009\u2014\u2009search-and-rescue dogs, canine security or emotional support animals. \u201cMore recently, there\u2019s interest in finding solutions for agricultural problems,\u201d Roberts says. \u201cWe\u2019re working on whether we can get dogs to work with drones in scanning large fields.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The professors are both animal lovers, and they stress that regardless of the collaboration, animal welfare always comes first. \u201cWhatever the project,\u201d Roberts says, \u201cwe\u2019re always careful to work for the benefit of all species involved.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Lab-tools_MAH7299_rgb-1024x683.jpg\")