Canine Co-design
Charlotte Robinson, Alice Torjussen
Abstract
Multi-species interfaces, where users consist of both human and non-human animals, continue to emerge in many application areas, such as zoos shared spaces between humans and domesticated animals. Within this, new instances of Canine-Computer Interaction are rapidly being developed, including applications that support assistance dogs in helping their handlers with disabilities, and interfaces that support human and dog bonding. Regardless of the specific application, many canine interfaces rely on a pressure-activated interaction for the canine input modality. We report on a two-phase study that explored the current practices of assistance dogs using pressure-activated switches (buttons) and aimed to understand canine experiences using different types of buttons. We discuss not only the practical design implications for designers developing canine interfaces, but also methodological findings in regard to conducting research with both canine and human participants. We aim to continue to extend design practices to include non-human animals as co-designers.