The Project

→ Interested in the GEB Smart Collar Project? Watch the Introduction Video and/or read on.

→ Our Goal:

Through the use of devices pups wear, we capture data that can help us better predict success and help raisers to be more successful through a greater understanding of the environmental influences on success.

  • Use a “smart collar” technology to collect data during puppy testing and also while puppies are being raised in the Guiding Eyes puppy raising program
  • Analyze this data with behavior checklist, puppy raiser surveys, Walk & Talk reports, and physiologic data collected during the puppy test
  • Gain Insights on how the reaction to stress changes over time and what environmental factors influence a dog’s ability to handle stress

 

→ How we use what we learn:

  • Identify the ideal age to accurately predict guide dog success
  • Learn which aspects of puppy raising and socialization are most influential in tipping the balance to success or failure
  • Provide additional information for GEB trainers administering the In-For-Training test

 

→ How it could help GEB raisers:

  • Guiding Eyes can provide you with recommendations on what is important to focus on based on your pup’s personality
  • Help you to be more successful with your pup

 

→ Your Job (as a participant):

  • As a citizen scientist, you will place the collar on your pup every day, except when being crated without monitoring.  Periodically, you will connect your smartphone app to the smart collar to upload the data collected.  You will also charge the collar nightly using a standard USB connection.  
  • The data collection period will be for as long as you have your puppy before the In-For-Training test.  From the initial data analysis, we will learn the best times to collect data, thus reducing the frequency and duration puppies need to wear the smart collars in the future.

 

→ What data is collected:

  • Accelerometer
    • how fast and smoothly the dog is moving.
    • Dogs under stress either become activated which is characterized by  faster, jerky
      movements or inhibited which slows them down or in more severe cases, they freeze
    • The accelerometer, coupled with the GPS will also tell us if dogs when left at home
      alone in their kennel are relaxed or unsettled.
  • GPS
    • Tells us when the dog changes its physical location.
    • Gather data on the frequency, variety and length of socialization outings.
    • Evaluate which patterns of socialization are best for different types of puppies.
  • Ambient noise around the puppy.
    • Gather data on loudness of sound and frequency of exposure
    • Evaluate which patterns of socialization are best for different types of puppies

 

→ Additional Information:

  • This project is governed by the NCSU Institutional Review Board. All data will be collected, transmitted, stored, and destroyed in a secure manner conforming to IRB standards.