How Mobile Technology Has Literally Gone to the Dogs

Anybody who grew up with dogs can likely remember the pain and frustration of their pet running away, getting lost, or getting sick. Dogs are great communicators, but sometimes they aren’t so easy to read. Wouldn’t it be great if there were technology that could alert us when our dogs run away, or have some sort of medical emergency? Wearable technology has made significant strides in recent years, affecting all different facets of daily life. And now, amazing innovations in data networking and information technology are finding their way into the realm of pet care.

Mobile device usage has spiked dramatically in recent years. Content and information become ubiquitous as networked devices gradually become smaller and more portable. According to futurist and technological visionary, Ray Kurzweil, technology evolves at an exponential rate. This progress is perhaps most evident in what has come to be known as the Internet of Things (IoT). As common, everyday objects are imbued and embedded with computation and processing power, our physical environments become part of the ever-expanding web of networked data. IoT is connecting everything – from household appliances to wearable technology – to the web.

A somewhat new implementation of wearable, networked technology is incorporating our pets into the whole equation. This new paradigm – an Internet of Pets, if you will – offers innovative solutions that directly address the pain points of pet owners everywhere. Dog owners in particular will benefit from new items and accessories that help initiate man’s best friend into the new age of omnipresent, networked data. Activity trackers, messaging devices, and other useful items now come with embedded network sensors to strengthen the bond between pets and their humans.

Tracking seems to be the most sought after feature in the Internet of Pets space – especially in wearable tech for dogs. GPS enabled dog collars such as Nuzzle, Tagg, and DogTelligent afford people who have dogs (especially dogs who love to wander) a way to keep track of them. Other collars, such as Voyce and Fitbark, also keep track of dogs’ health metrics (heart rate, respiratory patterns, calories burned, etc.). And with wearable items like the Buddy collar or the smartphone controlled Disco Dog LED system, dogs can be lit up with miniature light displays to either prevent from getting lost, or just to look stylish, flashy, or downright adorable.

Some people are a little put off by the rise of mobile technology as well as the subsequent effects that it has had on our culture. We are really attached to our mobile devices these days, and in a way that alienates us from one another. But the Internet of Things also has infinite potential to help people, as well as their pets. One of the primary tenets at the core of IoT is that the screen or display monitor is not the only gateway to the Internet. As embedded technology becomes smaller and more ubiquitous, objects themselves become networked devices – connecting user communities as well as logging metrics and data for just about any purpose. The Internet of Pets is a logical extension of this phenomenon, with new innovations that allow us to track and monitor our dogs, keeping them safe and healthy.

from Darlene Milligan http://ift.tt/21dzTHP via transformational marketing
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