Development of Canine Guidance Suit using Spot Lights

Abstract

In this paper, we developed a guidance suit for a dog with light sources. The dog is guided by spot light sources which can illuminate in three directions including frontal, left and right according to remote controller. First, we allowed the operator to easily adjust the irradiation angle of the light sources. Then, the mounting position of light sources are examined. Two radiators were mounted on the shoulder of the dog to irradiate in frontal direction as to prevent being blocked by dog’s head, while left and right radiators were mounted on the side of the suit to easily guide the dog left and right. A board PC was also equipped with the suit so that radiators can be controlled by remote controller. Additionally, sensors including camera, GNSS and IMU were installed to monitor dog’s action from a remote location. In verification of guidance, we succeeded in navigating the dog.