Tricks and Treats: Designing Technology to Support Mobility Assistance Dogs

Abstract

Figure 1. From left: 3D model showing the underside of the carousel with the raised notches, 3D model of the previous tray design which used hooks to attach to the main module, 3D model of the final tray design which attaches using a nut/bolt mechanism, 3D model of the final treat dispenser, and a photo of the 3D printed final dispenser deployed to participants.

A Precise Dispenser Design for Canine Cognition Research

“…The most difficult part of the build is the 3D printing, as each piece can up to 24 hours to print. Considering automated reward dispensers are difficult to build from scratch, our proposed dispenser lowers the skills gap significantly, allowing researchers to integrate an automated dispenser into their studies (Hardin et al 2015;Protopopova et al 2016;Majikes 2017;Wallis et al 2017;Robinson et al 2020). With the rather generic approach of the design, it can be used in any treat or food dispensing task where specific quantities are needed.…”

“…In looking at other dispenser designs, many have a central disc that has cells equally spaced along its perimeter that contain the media to be dispensed (Abdullahi et al 2019, Robinson et al 2020, Thomas et al 2021, Wallis et al 2017. This disc rotates around its center and each cell will go over an opening and fall into the receptacle where the dog will consume the treat.…”

Developing a Computer-Controlled Treat Dispenser for Canine Operant Conditioning

“…The demonstrated computer-controlled dispenser can be readily used and assembled with minimal skill and can act as a jumping off point for automated canine operant conditioning studies. Since automated reward dispenser are difficult to build from scratch, our proposed modifications of the Treat & Train would allow for researchers to integrate an automated dispenser into their studies (Hardin et al 2015, Protopopova et al 2016, Majikes 2017, Wallis et al 2017, Robinson et al 2020. Additionally, since the use of positive reinforcement training has been shown to indicate an increased level of obedience, our dispenser can be used in at-home situations for canine training exercises (Hiby et al 2004).…”

“…A user can dispense treats using a radio frequency (RF) remote control. The Treat & Train (PetSafe 2020) is a commonly used treat dispenser for canine operant conditioning, and it is generally controlled using its RF remote, dispensing a single treat per button press (Hiby et al 2004, Yin et al 2008, Hardin et al 2015, Protopopova et al 2016, Majikes 2017, Wallis et al 2017, Edwards 2019. However, the inconsistencies in the human operating the remote, as well as the remote's range, can limit the effectiveness of the treat dispenser.…”

“…However, the inconsistencies in the human operating the remote, as well as the remote's range, can limit the effectiveness of the treat dispenser. There have been instances of these dispensers being retrofitted to automatically dispense treats, but there have not been any published examples of the method to do so (Wallis et al 2017). There have, however, been published builds of food-dispensing devices for other species, such as fruit flies (Wayland et al 2018).…”