The First Television Remote Control For Dogs

Already exists! The first television remote control for dogs will finally hit the market. For a long time it was thought that all animals were incapable of distinguishing images emitted by technological devices. Thanks to the advance of scientific studies, this conception has radically changed.

Technology also reaches the animal world

Technological advances   not only change the lives of human beings, but also the lives of the animals that accompany them . The introduction of television sets in homes affected everyone. And it has transformed the dynamics of coexistence between all family members, including pets.

Some scientists at the University of Lancashire have developed the first television remote control for dogs. Does this invention really promise to democratize the use of TV in the home?

Can dogs watch television?

Without having to carry out a scientific study,  many owners have always stated that their dogs watch television and enjoy this experience. But what does science say about this?

The ocular system and faculty of vision in animals work differently than in humans. And that makes them watch television too, but in a very different way.

Cats and dogs can perceive more quickly and in greater detail a greater amount of  synchronized movement.  Human vision is slower and less detailed.

Some myths about canine vision

• Dogs can see colors, but they don’t distinguish as many shades  as humans.
• Yes, it’s true that  dogs see better than humans in the dark. This is because your pupils can dilate more and absorb more light, improving their night vision.
• It is also true that  the visual field of dogs is different from that of humans. While their peripheral vision is much better, they see distorted objects less than a foot away from their eyes.

television and movement

What television does is basically “trick” human eyes. For this, movement is created by passing one image after another very quickly. So our eyes and our brain think they see something continuous when it’s a succession of consecutive parts.

To create this sensation of movement to human eyes,  images must be passed at a speed of 40 hz  (images per second). Animals, in turn, need at least 75 hz to “make sense” of watching television.

Previously, a normal television had a speed of 50 Hz, which made it unlikely that a dog would be interested in watching it. But,  currently, televisions reach up to 1000hz, which can be quite interesting for our pets.

Other aspects, location and programming

Logically,  the television set should be placed in a comfortable place for pets. This is so they can look at the TV without discomfort or neck pain. Ideally, it should be placed at eye level.

The programming must generate interest, presenting elements that belong to the animals’ environment and that can be understood by them. Programming based on verbal communication and with everyday themes of human life will hardly capture the prolonged attention of animals.

With this in mind,  the first channel with programming exclusively for dogs is already on air. It’s called DogTv. It was created in Germany and even has a measurement of the number of viewers per program.

And how does the first television remote control for dogs work?

The researchers at Lancashire University provided some data: when they find programming that interests them,  dogs can watch up to 9 hours of television. And they prefer to visualize other canines and activities common to their species.

Specialists from the same University thought about the dog’s independence from its owner and how to improve the relationship between animals and intelligent devices. In this way, the  remote has “extra large” buttons so that dogs can change channels using their paws.  The remote control is wireless and at a distance, protecting the animal’s vision and the integrity of the technological device.

These inventions contribute a lot to an active life of animals without depending on the availability of their owners. So far, the television remote control for dogs is just a prototype. But an international pet products brand has already announced its interest in marketing it.

Image source: www.europafm.com