Even though dogs have become domesticated pets many centuries ago, there is still a very real risk they will bite their owner or other people. Hundreds of thousands of dog bites still occur every year, and the situation has not improved in the slightest. A new collaboration between Virtual Engineering Center and Dogs Trust aims to help pave people from dog bites now and in the future.
Dog Bite Risk Education in VR
The University of Liverpool has a dedicated Virtual Engineering Center. This outfit is currently collaborating with Dogs Trust to address dog behavior in terms of biting. Contrary to what some people may assume, there is still a very good risk a dog will bite its owner or some other person on any given day. The size of the dog does not matter in this regard, as it can happen to any of these domesticated or untrained animals.
Through this new venture, the team uses virtual reality technology to render a dog’s aggression levels. In the VR experience, the virtual puppy will display a wide range of stressed behaviors. It is designed to help people recognize these threats and act accordingly. Rather than putting in the same room with an aggressive dog, using virtual reality seems a much safer bet, all things considered.
Although this new VR experience is still in the very early stages of development, it shows there is a lot of merit to this concept. For the time being, the VEC team will ensure the experience becomes a lot more realistic moving forward, as there are still some enhancements waiting to be implemented. There’s still a big difference between a VR dog training session and facing such an animal in real life.
More specifically, the creators will improve the level of detail in the VR experience. Secondly, they want to implement a wider range of dog behaviors and reactions to user behavior. It is another example of how immersive experiences in virtual reality can be used for social good. Addressing real problems, such as dogs biting people, is still a worthwhile cause for this technology.
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