Computer tasks for great apes promote functional naturalism in a zoo setting

Martin, Christopher F.; Shumaker, Robert W.

doi:10.1145/3295598.3295605

Cited by 17 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…There were several possibilities for forming an interaction mechanism for the sakis that have been done with primates before, such as tracking through gaze [ 43 ], posture [ 44 ], proxemics [ 7 ], head-positioning [ 45 ], and physical touch screens [ 19 , 46 , 47 ]. For the device, we used proxemics to reduce any training needed with physical interfaces following prior requirements [ 41 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most of these computer-enabled enrichment systems are for primates, for example, music systems for apes [ 6 , 15 ] and monkeys [ 7 ], motion tracking to allow apes to play with projections [ 3 , 11 , 16 ] and a feeding puzzle for gorillas [ 2 ]. Moreover, beyond these examples, most of these computer-enabled enrichment systems have been used with great apes and involve tasks on screens [ 1 , 16 , 17 , 18 ], that encourage comparable physical and cognitive processes and behaviours in the captive species to their wild counterparts in natural habitats [ 19 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With the focus on screen enrichment systems for primates, these computer devices commonly consist of auditory and visual enrichment through tablets or bespoke screens made for the animal user [ 19 ]. These screens provide videos and auditory stimuli as well as cognitive challenges [ 16 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ], are used for husbandry purposes and for assessing a primate’s food-preference [ 24 ], mood, personality and social skills [ 17 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the context of screens and primates, most computer-enabled systems automatically play visual content to primates within their enclosure without their consent [ 21 , 23 ], often motivating their usage with food rewards [ 18 , 34 ] in artificial settings [ 17 ]. Besides, most of these enrichment systems for zoos focus on great ape family i.e., [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring How White-Faced Sakis Control Digital Visual Enrichment Systems

Hirskyj-Douglas¹,

Kankaanpää²

2021

Animals

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Computer-enabled screen systems containing visual elements have long been employed with captive primates for assessing preference, reactions and for husbandry reasons. These screen systems typically play visual enrichment to primates without them choosing to trigger the system and without their consent. Yet, what videos primates, especially monkeys, would prefer to watch of their own volition and how to design computers and methods that allow choice is an open question. In this study, we designed and tested, over several weeks, an enrichment system that facilitates white-faced saki monkeys to trigger different visual stimuli in their regular zoo habitat while automatically logging and recording their interaction. By analysing this data, we show that the sakis triggered underwater and worm videos over the forest, abstract art, and animal videos, and a control condition of no-stimuli. We also note that the sakis used the device significantly less when playing animal videos compared to other conditions. Yet, plotting the data over time revealed an engagement bell curve suggesting confounding factors of novelty and habituation. As such, it is unknown if the stimuli or device usage curve caused the changes in the sakis interactions over time. Looking at the sakis’ behaviours and working with zoo personnel, we noted that the stimuli conditions resulted in significantly decreasing the sakis’ scratching behaviour. For the research community, this study builds on methods that allow animals to control computers in a zoo environment highlighting problems in quantifying animal interactions with computer devices.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Exploring How White-Faced Sakis Control Digital Visual Enrichment Systems

Hirskyj-Douglas¹,

Kankaanpää²

2021

Animals

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“…However, a common issue with computer systems made for animals is that they have often been designed from the human point of view and using technologies adapted from human use [25] such as tablets [36]. While primateproof screen systems have been developed to be used in zoos [27], novel systems beyond this suffer from context problems such as broken equipment or interfaces that are difficult, or not being ideally intended, for the animals to use [5]. Thus, while technologies have and are being employed in zoo contexts, these are not perfect with further research needed upon their formation.…”

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing Zoo Technology Requirements for White-Faced Saki Monkeys

Hirskyj-Douglas

Piitulainen

2020

Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Animal-Computer Interaction

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How early technology requirements are formed for animals involves asking humans caring for the animal to give requirements for them. For zoo animals, this is the keeper and other experts who work with the animal. This requirement gathering process is used as a method of forming user-centric designs for systems for animals. Yet little attention has been paid towards how to form these early requirements in zoos or whom to gather these from. Addressing this, we investigate how to construct technology requirements for the zoo housed animals, using white-faced saki monkeys as an instance. Utilizing the method of questionnaires, we gather requirements from zoo keepers and zoo visitors. Comparing and analyzing our results, we reveal how requirements for animal-technology in zoo contexts diverge and intersect. Our data indicates that these vantages mostly align; with the zoo visitors focusing upon the aesthetics and keepers concentrating on practicalities. Overarching these, we note how requirements in proxy for animals often involves a synthesis of complex motivations, user narratives, vantage points, and prior technology and animal experience that is irreparably intertwined within the requirement process. This paper builds upon requirement gathering methods for unconventional users.

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Do chimpanzees enjoy a virtual forest? A pilot investigation of the use of interactive art as a form of environmental enrichment for zoo‐housed chimpanzees

Yamanashi

Hitoosa

Yoshida

et al. 2021

American J Primatol

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Environmental enrichment is essential for the well-being of zoo animals. Recent advances in sensor and video technologies may contribute to improvements in enrichment in terms of their flexibilities and time constraints. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether interactive movie art can be used as a form of environmental enrichment. We implemented interactive movies designed by a professional artist, a visual art aiming to reflect naturalistic forest habitat, in an indoor chimpanzee enclosure at Kyoto City Zoo in Japan. Motion-tracking sensors embedded in buoys were installed at several locations around the indoor enclosure; the chimpanzees could change the movie contents by physically interacting with these objects. We recorded behaviors by observing entire troop of chimpanzees (six) between March 16 and 20, 2020 (control condition), then recorded behaviors when the interactive movie was presented (experimental condition) between March 21 and 29, 2020. Behaviors were recorded via direct observations and video recordings to examine any changes after the installation of interactive art. The chimpanzees spent more time in the indoor enclosures during the experimental condition than during the control condition. Activity budgets did not change substantially during the study period. There was no evidence of habituation to the movie during the study period. Three chimpanzees, including two young chimpanzees, interacted with the movie more frequently than the others; these young chimpanzees occasionally showed playful expressions when interacting with the movie and exhibited different reactivities to the movie scenes. These results demonstrate, first, that the interactive art did not negatively affect chimpanzee behavior, and second, that some of the chimpanzees indeed showed positive responses to the art. This study, therefore, introduces a novel possibility for environmental enrichment in zoos, involving a collaboration between science and art.

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Computer tasks for great apes promote functional naturalism in a zoo setting

Cited by 17 publications

References 16 publications

Exploring How White-Faced Sakis Control Digital Visual Enrichment Systems

Exploring How White-Faced Sakis Control Digital Visual Enrichment Systems

Developing Zoo Technology Requirements for White-Faced Saki Monkeys

Do chimpanzees enjoy a virtual forest? A pilot investigation of the use of interactive art as a form of environmental enrichment for zoo‐housed chimpanzees

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