Animal-Computer Interaction: the emergence of a discipline

In this editorial to the IJHCS Special Issue on Animal-Computer Interaction (ACI), we provide an overview of the state-of-the-art in this emerging field, outlining the main scientific interests of its developing community, in a broader cultural context of evolving human-animal relations. We summarise the core aims proposed for the development of ACI as a discipline, discussing the challenges these pose and how ACI researchers are trying to address them. We then introduce the contributions to the Special Issue, showing how they illustrate some of the key issues that characterise the current state-of-the-art in ACI, and finally reflect on how the journey ahead towards developing an ACI discipline could be undertaken

Seven Years after the Manifesto: Literature Review and Research Directions for Technologies in Animal Computer Interaction

As technologies diversify and become embedded in everyday lives, the technologies we expose to animals, and the new technologies being developed for animals within the field of Animal Computer Interaction (ACI) are increasing. As we approach seven years since the ACI manifesto, which grounded the field within Human Computer Interaction and Computer Science, this thematic literature review looks at the technologies developed for (non-human) animals. Technologies that are analysed include tangible and physical, haptic and wearable, olfactory, screen technology and tracking systems. The conversation explores what exactly ACI is whilst questioning what it means to be animal by considering the impact and loop between machine and animal interactivity. The findings of this review are expected to form the first grounding foundation of ACI technologies informing future research in animal computing as well as suggesting future areas for exploratio

DoggyVision: Examining how Dogs (Canis familiaris) Interact with Media using a Dog-Driven Proximity Tracker Device

With screen technology becoming ubiquitously embedded into our homes, these screens are often in places where they can be viewed by domestic dogs (Canis familiaris); however, there is a lack of research showing to what extent, and for how long, dogs attend to media on screens. One pressing question is to understand if a dog, given the opportunity, would or could control its own viewing. This paper describes a prototype system (DoggyVision) that gives control to a dog in regard to the turning on and off of a TV screen in order to study activation with screen media in home settings. The system is used with two dogs to explore the interaction modalities between machine and dog. DoggyVision is shown to be non-invasive for the dog and easy to use in the home. Recordings show that dogs did attend to the screen but did not appear, in this study, to change their activation behaviors around the TV screen between being in no control (week 1), and in some control (week 2), of the TV media presentation. The study builds on ‘dog-centered’ methods to examine a dog’s behavior non-invasively demonstrating that useful data can be yielded from dog-driven devices within the home. For the Animal Computer Interaction community, this is the first system that allows the dog to trigger the activation of the device as the system records the activation automatically

Beyond the audience: Teletubbies, play and parenthood

This article considers the place of the ‘everyday’ and ‘practice’ in media ethnography and audience research in cultural and media studies as well as this tradition’s relationship to textual analysis. Drawing on an auto-ethnographic study of the author’s family, the research considers the way in which they made meanings with the preschool children’s television programme Teletubbies. The analysis considers how television viewing is regulated discursively across a number of different sites that constitute ‘parenthood’. In this respect, Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of ‘habitus’ is developed to account for the ways in which the textual and discursive address articulates with, develops and reproduces the family’s childcare practices. The research also presents a method of analysis that explores the micro-example to ‘write singularity’ and suggests the benefits of exploring the ways in which meanings are made beyond the moment of reception. As such, a case is made for the need to move beyond conceptualizations of ‘the audience’

Designing technologies for playful interspecies communication

This one-day workshop examines how we might use technologies to support design for playful interspecies communication and considers some of the potential implications. Here we explore aspects of playful technology and reflect on what opportunities computers can provide for facilitating communication between species. The workshop's focal activity will be the co-creation of some theoretical systems designed for specific multi-species scenarios. Through our activities, we aim to pave the way for designing technology that promotes interspecies communication, drawing input not only from ACI practitioners but also from those of the broader HCI and animal science community, who may be stakeholders in facilitating, expanding, and/or redefining playful technology

P for Politics D for Dialogue: Reflections on Participatory Design with Children and Animals

Participatory Design strives to open up the decision-making process and empower all those who may be affected by design. This is opposed to Design as a non-participatory process, in which the power to make decisions is vested in the hands of one group to the possible detriment of others. In this paper we interrogate the nature, possibilities and limitations of Participatory Design through the perspective of Child Computer Interaction (CCI) and Animal Computer Interaction (ACI). Due to the cognitive and communication characteristics, and to the social and legal status of their participants, researchers in these communities have to contend with and challenge existing notions of participation and design. Thus, their theories and practices provide a lens through which the nature and goals of Participatory Design can be examined with a view to facilitating the development of more inclusive participatory models and practices

DESIGN FOR THE WELL-BEING OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS: IMPLEMENTATION OF A THREE-STAGE USER RESEARCH MODEL

This paper presents how we, as design educators, integrated user-centeredness into a design studio course project that is concerned with improving well-being of domestic cats and dogs. Since the primary users of the project were identified as domestic animals, we carried out the project in collaboration with experts from a veterinary medicine school who study animal behavior. We developed a three-stage user research model to enable students to familiarize themselves with the physical and emotional needs of the animals at the beginning, and test their prototypes with the users in both the lab and home contexts during the project. The empirical basis of the paper comes from the interviews we conducted with 12 students who participated in the project, in order to explore their experiences of designing for animals. The paper shows that including animals in a design process as participants, through iterative trials in the real use context, serves as a good strategy to not only overcome the challenges of designing for animals, but also teach students the importance of user-centeredness and building empathy in design in a broader sense

Animal-Computer Interaction: Auf den Weg zum technologisch vermittelten Multispeziesismus [Animal-Computer Interaction: towards Technologically Mediated Multispeciesity]

Seit Anbeginn der Menschheit hat Technologie als Vermittlerin in einer Vielzahl von anthropozentrischen Beziehungen mit anderen Tieren fungiert. Diese Beziehungen haben menschlichen Interessen systematisch zum Vorteil gereicht und waren das Fundament menschlicher Zivilisationen. Angefangen von den primitivsten Jagdgerätschaften bis zu den höchst entwickelten Landmaschinen und Überwachungseinrichtungen haben Technik und Technologie Menschen in die Lage versetzt, andere Tiere zunehmend zu beherrschen, und haben unsere Wahrnehmung dieser Tiere und unsere Interaktion mit ihnen tiefgreifend beeinflusst. Dies gilt besonders für die computergestützte interaktive Technologie, die innerhalb weniger Jahrzehnte jeden Aspekt menschlicher Aktivität transformiert und sich rasch als fester Bestandteil des Alltags der Menschen etabliert hat. Computersysteme sind verwoben in das Geflecht unserer Städte, Arbeitsplätze, Häuser, Fahrzeuge und sogar unserer Körper. Sie machen es möglich, dass wir uns in bisher ungekannter Weise zu unserer Umwelt, zueinander und zu uns selbst in Beziehung setzen. Begleitend dazu hat die Einbindung von Tieren in menschliche Aktivitäten auch Tiere in wachsendem Maß dem Einfluss unserer Technik und Technologie ausgesetzt und von ihnen verlangt, mit dieser zu interagieren. Seit Anbeginn der Menschheit hat Technologie als Vermittlerin in einer Vielzahl von anthropozentrischen Beziehungen mit anderen Tieren fungiert. Diese Beziehungen haben menschlichen Interessen systematisch zum Vorteil gereicht und waren das Fundament menschlicher Zivilisationen. Angefangen von den primitivsten Jagdgerätschaften bis zu den höchst entwickelten Landmaschinen und Überwachungseinrichtungen haben Technik und Technologie Menschen in die Lage versetzt, andere Tiere zunehmend zu beherrschen, und haben unsere Wahrnehmung dieser Tiere und unsere Interaktion mit ihnen tiefgreifend beeinflusst. Dies gilt besonders für die computergestützte interaktive Technologie, die innerhalb weniger Jahrzehnte jeden Aspekt menschlicher Aktivität transformiert und sich rasch als fester Bestandteil des Alltags der Menschen etabliert hat. Computersysteme sind verwoben in das Geflecht unserer Städte, Arbeitsplätze, Häuser, Fahrzeuge und sogar unserer Körper. Sie machen es möglich, dass wir uns in bisher ungekannter Weise zu unserer Umwelt, zueinander und zu uns selbst in Beziehung setzen. Begleitend dazu hat die Einbindung von Tieren in menschliche Aktivitäten auch Tiere in wachsendem Maß dem Einfluss unserer Technik und Technologie ausgesetzt und von ihnen verlangt, mit dieser zu interagieren. This paper introduces the field of Animal-Computer Interaction (ACI) and its fundamental aims: understanding the interaction between animals and technologies; designing animal-centred technology that improves animals’ welfare, supports their activities and fosters positive intra- and inter-species relations; and developing animal-centred methods that enable animals to participate in the design process. Through examples of work conducted in different areas within the field, the paper then articulates the reasons why such aims should be pursued, particularly at this historical time, demonstrating the importance of ACI as a discipline and as a worldview for animals, humans and the ecosystems we all share. Ultimately, the author argues, it might be in our species’ best interest to give animals their fair share of representation and control through animal-centred design processes and outcomes, and to invite them to co-design technologically mediated environments and futures with us, so that we could all benefit from the collective wisdom and strength of multispeciesity

Towards Intelligent Playful Environments for Animals based on Natural User Interfaces

Tesis por compendioEl estudio de la interacción de los animales con la tecnología y el desarrollo de sistemas tecnológicos centrados en el animal está ganando cada vez más atención desde la aparición del área de Animal Computer Interaction (ACI). ACI persigue mejorar el bienestar de los animales en diferentes entornos a través del desarrollo de tecnología adecuada para ellos siguiendo un enfoque centrado en el animal. Entre las líneas de investigación que ACI está explorando, ha habido bastante interés en la interacción de los animales con la tecnología basada en el juego. Las actividades de juego tecnológicas tienen el potencial de proveer estimulación mental y física a los animales en diferentes contextos, pudiendo ayudar a mejorar su bienestar. Mientras nos embarcamos en la era de la Internet de las Cosas, las actividades de juego tecnológicas actuales para animales todavía no han explorado el desarrollo de soluciones pervasivas que podrían proveerles de más adaptación a sus preferencias a la vez que ofrecer estímulos tecnológicos más variados. En su lugar, estas actividades están normalmente basadas en interacciones digitales en lugar de explorar dispositivos tangibles o aumentar las interacciones con otro tipo de estímulos. Además, estas actividades de juego están ya predefinidas y no cambian con el tiempo, y requieren que un humano provea el dispositivo o la tecnología al animal. Si los humanos pudiesen centrarse más en su participación como jugadores de un sistema interactivo para animales en lugar de estar pendientes de sujetar un dispositivo para el animal o de mantener el sistema ejecutándose, esto podría ayudar a crear lazos más fuertes entre especies y promover mejores relaciones con los animales. Asimismo, la estimulación mental y física de los animales son aspectos importantes que podrían fomentarse si los sistemas de juego diseñados para ellos pudieran ofrecer un variado rango de respuestas, adaptarse a los comportamientos del animal y evitar que se acostumbre al sistema y pierda el interés. Por tanto, esta tesis propone el diseño y desarrollo de entornos tecnológicos de juego basados en Interfaces Naturales de Usuario que puedan adaptarse y reaccionar a las interacciones naturales de los animales. Estos entornos pervasivos permitirían a los animales jugar por si mismos o con una persona, ofreciendo actividades de juego más dinámicas y atractivas capaces de adaptarse con el tiempo.L'estudi de la interacció dels animals amb la tecnologia i el desenvolupament de sistemes tecnològics centrats en l'animal està guanyant cada vegada més atenció des de l'aparició de l'àrea d'Animal Computer Interaction (ACI) . ACI persegueix millorar el benestar dels animals en diferents entorns a través del desenvolupament de tecnologia adequada per a ells amb un enfocament centrat en l'animal. Entre totes les línies d'investigació que ACI està explorant, hi ha hagut prou interès en la interacció dels animals amb la tecnologia basada en el joc. Les activitats de joc tecnològiques tenen el potencial de proveir estimulació mental i física als animals en diferents contextos, podent ajudar a millorar el seu benestar. Mentre ens embarquem en l'era de la Internet de les Coses, les activitats de joc tecnològiques actuals per a animals encara no han explorat el desenvolupament de solucions pervasives que podrien proveir-los de més adaptació a les seues preferències al mateix temps que oferir estímuls tecnològics més variats. En el seu lloc, estes activitats estan normalment basades en interaccions digitals en compte d'explorar dispositius tangibles o augmentar les interaccions amb estímuls de diferent tipus. A més, aquestes activitats de joc estan ja predefinides i no canvien amb el temps, mentre requereixen que un humà proveïsca el dispositiu o la tecnologia a l'animal. Si els humans pogueren centrar-se més en la seua participació com a jugadors actius d'un sistema interactiu per a animals en compte d'estar pendents de subjectar un dispositiu per a l'animal o de mantenir el sistema executant-se, açò podria ajudar a crear llaços més forts entre espècies i promoure millors relacions amb els animals. Així mateix, l'estimulació mental i física dels animals són aspectes importants que podrien fomentar-se si els sistemes de joc dissenyats per a ells pogueren oferir un rang variat de respostes, adaptar-se als comportaments de l'animal i evitar que aquest s'acostume al sistema i perda l'interès. Per tant, esta tesi proposa el disseny i desenvolupament d'entorns tecnològics de joc basats en Interfícies Naturals d'Usuari que puguen adaptar-se i reaccionar a les interaccions naturals dels animals. Aquestos escenaris pervasius podrien permetre als animals jugar per si mateixos o amb una persona, oferint activitats de joc més dinàmiques i atractives que siguen capaces d'adaptar-se amb el temps.The study of animals' interactions with technology and the development of animal-centered technological systems is gaining attention since the emergence of the research area of Animal Computer Interaction (ACI). ACI aims to improve animals' welfare and wellbeing in several scenarios by developing suitable technology for the animal following an animal-centered approach. Among all the research lines ACI is exploring, there has been significant interest in animals' playful interactions with technology. Technologically mediated playful activities have the potential to provide mental and physical stimulation for animals in different environmental contexts, which could in turn help to improve their wellbeing. As we embark in the era of the Internet of Things, current technological playful activities for animals have not yet explored the development of pervasive solutions that could provide animals with more adaptation to their preferences as well as offering varied technological stimuli. Instead, playful technology for animals is usually based on digital interactions rather than exploring tangible devices or augmenting the interactions with different stimuli. In addition, these playful activities are already predefined and do not change over time, while they require that a human has to be the one providing the device or technology to the animal. If humans could focus more on their participation as active players of an interactive system aimed for animals instead of being concerned about holding a device for the animal or keep the system running, this might help to create stronger bonds between species and foster better relationships with animals. Moreover, animals' mental and physical stimulation are important aspects that could be fostered if the playful systems designed for animals could offer a varied range of outputs, be tailored to the animal's behaviors and prevented the animal to get used to the system and lose interest. Therefore, this thesis proposes the design and development of technological playful environments based on Natural User Interfaces that could adapt and react to the animals' natural interactions. These pervasive scenarios would allow animals to play by themselves or with a human, providing more engaging and dynamic playful activities that are capable of adapting over time.Pons Tomás, P. (2018). Towards Intelligent Playful Environments for Animals based on Natural User Interfaces [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/113075TESISCompendi