Monkey Audio and Visual Media System
In collaboration with Korkeasaari Zoo and Aalto University, we built a ‘monkey media player’ which lets zoo animals choose between video and sound files. We explored ways for monkeys to be able to trigger audio or visual stimuli on demand, like a primate-focused Spotify or Netflix. View more
Samsung EU Pet Living Campaign
With Samsung EU, we carried out a study of over 6,500 European pet owners to find out how pet ownership is shaping our technology choices as well as our interaction with technology at home. View more
Tech Key Features
Inclusive Requirements and Ethically Focused
Empowering technology that caters to the needs of both humans and animals, with comprehensive requirement gathering and animal-focused safeguards, fostering positive and empowering interactions for animals.
Autonomous Internet of Things (IoT) Approach
Experience seamless ‘plug and play’ integration with our autonomous IoT devices, fostering effortless interaction between users and devices while minimising disturbance to animals through remote data access.
Bespoke Designed User-Friendly Interfaces
Develop an intuitive and accessible novel interfaces that accommodates the physical and cognitive abilities of animals, allowing animals to interact with computer systems effortlessly.
Internet Connected Devices
Building internet-enabled devices to facilitate bridging the divide between humans-animal and animal-animal when not in the same location.
Internet Tech
Parrot-to-Parrot Internet
With MIT and Northeastern University, we developed an animal-to-animal video call system for parrots. The birds learned how to call each other with the support of their human caretakers, who also took careful notes on their pets’ experiences. We then analysed over 1,000 hours of video observations of 18 pet parrots’ behaviour over the course of the three-month study. Caretakers reported bonding more with their pets and the parrots used the system frequently having preferences over who to call.
Dog-to-Human Internet
With Aalto University, we developed a dog-to-human video caller coined DogPhone that is the first of its kind to empower animals to use the internet to contact their owners. DogPhone allows Zack to call Dr Hirskyj-Douglas by picking up and shaking a ball fitted with an accelerometer. When the accelerometer senses movement, it initiates a video call on a laptop in their living room allowing Zack to see and interact with his owner whenever he chooses. Zack’s owner can also use the system to call him, and he is free to answer or ignore the call.
Animal-Computer Interaction Group 