iPhone HUD

This is the HUD that the player will use on their iPhone, iPad or iTouch.

The car is controlled much like a first person console game. Where the left thumb stick controls the cars movement and the right thumb stick the camera. The speaker button on the middle right enables/disables speech so the player can talk to the dog. The horn button on the middle left makes a squeak sound on the car to excite the dog.

The Abstract

The Abstract

We aim to give something that both the player and the animal partner can consider as a true game and yet give something that benefits them beyond simple gameplay.

The problem we face to solve is the psychological problems that arises from the long term physical separation from the owner and the pet dog.

We looked for something that dogs innately find interesting, which is hunting, and add a more personal element, the voice of the owner, to it. A short training will ensure the desired effect.

The solution is an RC car with attached speaker and cameras. This provides a mean for physical, visual and audio interactions between the owner and the pet dog that is aimed to benefit both the player and the dog psychologically.

This is a simple means to an end. This method can be reapplied to any other types of pets in a similar way.

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The Abstract, elaborated.

We aim to give something that both the player and the animal partner can consider as a true game and yet give something that benefits them beyond simple gameplay.

The problem we face to solve is the psychological problems that arises from the long term physical separation from the owner and the pet dog.

Pets are an integral part of life for some people and sometimes problem arises during the absence of the owner due to, for example, work. In mild cases, this just means the animal gets bored. In worse cases, the pet starts to show restlessness which leads to separation anxiety

We looked for something that dogs innately find interesting, which is hunting, and add a more personal element, the voice of the owner, to it. A short training will ensure the desired effect.

Many dogs are naturally playful, needing to keep their mind busy a lot of the time if you are to prevent them becoming bored, restless or stressed. Something that would work really well is a small fluffy toy with an added movement(preferably fast). It appeals to most dogs’s natural desire to chase and hunt small animals.

To add a personal touch, the most viable option is audio. It allows the owner to convey the most feelings. Something like a small screen would have also been considered but disregarded. This is not due to small size and the dog’s ability to recognise such small object on something that moves very fast. This is due to the fact that dogs do not recognise objects on a 2d image. Something like smell has also been thought of but there is an economical practicality behind all this.

The solution is an RC car with attached speaker and cameras. This provides a mean for physical, visual and audio interactions between the owner and the pet dog that is aimed to benefit both the player and the dog psychologically.

A rather rugged (because dogs chew and mangle everything) RC car is fitted with cameras and a speaker. On its back, a fluffy toy is clamped down on a small releasable hook. The owner can control the RC car remotely through the use of his/her smartphone. The dog will naturally chase after the fluffy toy. The owner will have to try and make sure to keep the dog off as long as possible.

All the while, the owner can talk to the dog via the smartphone to the speaker on the RC car. The player can navigate and control the RC car with a use of an onboard camera. There is an extra camera that points backwards, towards the dog, and the player can switch between two views on the smartphone.

This game may simply manage boredom of the owner if that is as far as you are willing to look at it. however, it is really aimed at lessening the effects of separation anxiety of the dog by keeping its mind busy playing a game as well as being able to hear the calming and assuring voice of its owner. The player on the other hand has a way to see a friendly face even though they may be many miles away from home. It is akin to people keeping photos of their family in their wallet or as a background for their phone. It may not replace being there in person but it is better than nothing.

This is a simple means to an end. This method can be reapplied to any other types of pets in a similar way.

This game aims to benefit both the owner and the pet by connecting them through a third entity, the RC car and the smartphone. This solution does not only apply to dogs but has many other possible applications, such as cats or rats. Would work even for birds and possibly very well for parrots.