Re-Centering Multispecies Practices

Abstract

We report on participatory design research where interaction designers, and canine behavioral specialists, together with their cancer detection dogs, teamed up to better support the dogs' life-saving work. We discuss interspecies communication challenges in cancer detection training, requiring the dogs to use human signaling conventions that perturb their detection work. We describe our effort to develop a technology that could resolve those challenges, and how in the process our design focus gradually shifted from a human-centered to a caninecentered interaction model. The resulting interface, based on honest signaling, re-centers cancer detection practices on the dogs themselves, enabling them to better express their potential as cancer detection workers; it also provides a model for re-thinking human-computer interactions.

A Method for Evaluating Animal Usability (MEAU)

“…However, the authors' analysis was based on on qualitative data, presented in an anecdotal style, which limited the validity of their findings. Similarly, the work of Mancini et al [11,19] dealt with the implementation of interactions design principles relevant to dogs as a means to inform canine working environments. However, the authors' assessment of their dog friendly controls' usability relied on reports from the dogs' handlers and partners, rather than on more objective measures of the dogs' behavior as they were interacting with the controls.…”

Interactive technology and human–animal encounters at the zoo

“…Other researchers have trialled systems which aim to provide pet owners with remote awareness of their animal's behaviour and affective state, and allow them to interact at a distance (Lee et al, 2006;Resner, 2001). Continuing partnerships between working animals and their handlers provide a significant opportunity for ACI researchers to investigate and augment mutual understandings between humans and non-humans, within the context of a specific task (Mancini et al, 2015;Robinson et al, 2014a;Zeagler et al, 2014).…”

“…Studies of technology-mediated interaction between these human-animal pairings have generally centred on settings such as the home (Mankoff et al, 2005;Robinson et al, 2014b) or laboratory (Mancini et al, 2015;Trindade et al, 2015;Zeagler et al, 2014), and have thereby given little attention to broader social considerations and factors that intersect with animal-human interactions. While it is broadly acknowledged that the social context shape our expectations of animals and the work that they do (Mancini et al, 2012), to date ACI has lacks a general framework for understanding or responding to such social and cultural factors.…”

Automated Canine Scent-Detection Apparatus: Technical Description and Training Outcomes

“…No reports of such an apparatus for use with dogs have yet appeared. Mancini et al (2015) developed a pressure-sensitive sample holder that can be used to automatically detect dogs' responses to samples situated in the holders. By recording the intensity and duration of pressure applied to each sample holder, samples can be classified as indicated or not indicated.…”