‘PetTrack’ Tech Lets You Watch What Your Pets Are Doing At Home Without Cameras
By Alexa Heah, 01 Sep 2022
Leaving your pet behind each day as you head off to work isn’t easy, and to keep up with what their furry friends are up to at home, most pet owners opt for camera feeds to their smartphones.
However, this requires installing a camera in nearly every room of the home, and reviewing footage can be time-consuming. After all, wouldn’t it be much easier if you always knew where your pet was and what it was doing without having to sift through hours of video?
That’s the problem researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are trying to solve with PetTrack—a new device that provides accurate, real-time location updates of pets with the use of sensors.
According to the team, the gadget makes use of ultra-wideband (UWB) radio wireless sensors to keep track of the pet, with accelerometers added to determine if it’s lying down, sitting, or moving.
Not only does the technology work even if objects or walls are in the way, but all that’s needed is to place a small sensor on your beloved pet’s collar, with minimal invasiveness and no installation required.
“PetTrack comprises two things: one is knowing the pet’s indoor location and second is trying to understand their activity,” explained Ashutosh Dhekne, Assistant Professor in the School of Computer Science (SCS).
When connected to the home’s Wi-Fi network, the innovative technology will give pet owners updates through their smartphones, with the location data being sent taking up much less bandwidth and memory than a video feed would.
Plus, by using multiple UWB sensors and a central data collection module, PetTrack boasts highly-accurate measurements, which could be extra important to pet owners who are worried about their furry ones getting into places they shouldn’t be.
With just one set of anchor devices, an owner will be able to track up to four pets, with real-time updates every second. It’s said to be safer than cameras too, working only in the area it’s in, not allowing hackers to gain access to any details within the home.
Going forward, researchers hope PetTrack can be used in pet daycares, or as a training tool to alert an owner if a pet goes into an area of the home they’re not supposed to be in.
“Overall, the idea is to connect better with your pet, using PetTrack. You could detect changing pet behaviors and interact with the pet using location-aware robotic toys,” Dhekne suggested.
[via New Atlas and Georgia Institute of Technology, cover image via Eva Blanco | Dreamstime.com]