When your eyes have a wet nose: the evolution of the use of guide dogs and establishing the seeing eye

EchoSee: An Assistive Mobile Application for Real-Time 3D Environment Reconstruction and Sonification Supporting Enhanced Navigation for People with Vision Impairments

Improving the quality of life for people with vision impairments has been an important goal in the research and design of assistive devices for several decades. This paper seeks to further that goal by introducing a novel assistive technology platform that leverages real-time 3D spatial audio to promote safe and efficient navigation for people who are blind or visually impaired (PVI). The presented platform, EchoSee, uses modern 3D scanning technology on a mobile device to construct a live, digital 3D map of a user's environment as they move about their surroundings. Spatialized, virtual audio sources (i.e., virtual speakers) are dynamically placed within the digital 3D scan of the world, providing the navigator with a real-time 3D stereo audio "soundscape." The digital 3D map, and its resultant soundscape, are continuously updated as the user moves about their environment. The generated soundscape is played back through headphones connected to the navigator's device. This paper details (1) the underlying technical components and how they were integrated to produce the mobile application that generates a dynamic soundscape on a consumer mobile device, (2) a methodology for analyzing navigation performance with the application, (3) the design and execution of a user study investigating the effectiveness of the presented system, and (4) a discussion of the results of that study along with a proposed future study and possible improvements. Altogether, this paper presents a novel software platform aimed at assisting individuals with vision impairments to navigate and understand spaces safely, efficiently, and independently and the results of a feasibility study analyzing the viability of the approach.

Service Animals in Health Care Settings

This JAMA Insights article reviews Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) rules for patients, visitors, and other members of the public bringing service animals into health care settings.

Adaptive Tensor-Based Feature Extraction for Pupil Segmentation in Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery remains the only definitive treatment for visually significant cataracts, which are a major cause of preventable blindness worldwide. Successful performance of cataract surgery relies on stable dilation of the pupil. Automated pupil segmentation from surgical videos can assist surgeons in detecting risk factors for pupillary instability prior to the development of surgical complications. However, surgical illumination variations, surgical instrument obstruction, and lens material hydration during cataract surgery can limit pupil segmentation accuracy. To address these problems, we propose a novel method named adaptive wavelet tensor feature extraction (AWTFE). AWTFE is designed to enhance the accuracy of deep learning-powered pupil recognition systems. First, we represent the correlations among spatial information, color channels, and wavelet subbands by constructing a third-order tensor. We then utilize higher-order singular value decomposition to eliminate redundant information adaptively and estimate pupil feature information. We evaluated the proposed method by conducting experiments with state-of-the-art deep learning segmentation models on our BigCat dataset consisting of 5,700 annotated intraoperative images from 190 cataract surgeries and a public CaDIS dataset. The experimental results reveal that the AWTFE method effectively identifies features relevant to the pupil region and improved the overall performance of segmentation models by up to 2.26% (BigCat) and 3.31% (CaDIS). Incorporation of the AWTFE method led to statistically significant improvements in segmentation performance (P < 1.29  ×  10-10 for each model) and yielded the highest-performing model overall (Dice coefficients of 94.74% and 96.71% for the BigCat and CaDIS datasets, respectively). In performance comparisons, the AWTFE consistently outperformed other feature extraction methods in enhancing model performance. In addition, the proposed AWTFE method significantly improved pupil recognition performance by up to 2.87% in particularly challenging phases of cataract surgery.

Interference With the Work of Dog Guides in Public: A Survey

Introduction: One of the greatest challenges dog guide handlers face after completing training is interference with their dogs’ work, both from people and other dogs. The Seeing Eye surveyed its active dog guide handlers to gain a better understanding of the types and severity of interference they were currently experiencing and to develop strategies to better equip handlers to deal with that interference. Methods: For one month (October 2019), an online survey was made available to the 1,761 active Seeing Eye handlers concerning the interference they had experienced while working their dogs in public within the past 5 years. The survey questions were designed to elicit information about the types, frequency, and severity of interference handlers experience both from people and other dogs, as well as the settings in which the interference took place. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: Eighty-nine percent of handlers had experienced people interfering with the work of their dogs at least occasionally by talking to or making eye contact with them, and 78% had experienced interference from other dogs regularly. Interference from other dogs was usually nonaggressive, but 36% reported other dogs making aggressive physical contact with their dogs. Interference of all types mostly occurred in public places. Discussion: A robust, multifaceted public awareness campaign is necessary to address the persistent problem of interference with dog guide teams. Implications for Practitioners: Many factors influence a person's decision about whether to work with a dog guide. This study provides practitioners with a more realistic picture of the challenges handlers are likely to face in their encounters with the public. Practitioners and dog guide schools can use the information in the study to better equip and support dog guide handlers to proactively engage the public and manage interference when it does occur.

Communicative capital: a key resource for human-machine shared agency and collaborative capacity

In this work, we present a perspective on the role machine intelligence can play in supporting human abilities. In particular, we consider research in rehabilitation technologies such as prosthetic devices, as this domain requires tight coupling between human and machine. Taking an agent-based view of such devices, we propose that human-machine collaborations have a capacity to perform tasks which is a result of the combined agency of the human and the machine. We introduce communicative capital as a resource developed by a human and a machine working together in ongoing interactions. Development of this resource enables the partnership to eventually perform tasks at a capacity greater than either individual could achieve alone. We then examine the benefits and challenges of increasing the agency of prostheses by surveying literature which demonstrates that building communicative resources enables more complex, task-directed interactions. The viewpoint developed in this article extends current thinking on how best to support the functional use of increasingly complex prostheses, and establishes insight toward creating more fruitful interactions between humans and supportive, assistive, and augmentative technologies.

Dogs Supporting Human Health and Well-Being: A Biopsychosocial Approach

Humans have long realized that dogs can be helpful, in a number of ways, to achieving important goals. This is evident from our earliest interactions involving the shared goal of avoiding predators and acquiring food, to our more recent inclusion of dogs in a variety of contexts including therapeutic and educational settings. This paper utilizes a longstanding theoretical framework- the biopsychosocial model- to contextualize the existing research on a broad spectrum of settings and populations in which dogs have been included as an adjunct or complementary therapy to improve some aspect of human health and well-being. A wide variety of evidence is considered within key topical areas including cognition, learning disorders, neurotypical and neurodiverse populations, mental and physical health, and disabilities. A dynamic version of the biopsychosocial model is used to organize and discuss the findings, to consider how possible mechanisms of action may impact overall human health and well-being, and to frame and guide future research questions and investigations.

The effects of assistance dogs on psychosocial health and wellbeing: A systematic literature review

Beyond the functional tasks that assistance dogs are trained for, there is growing literature describing their benefits on the psychosocial health and wellbeing of their handlers. However, this research is not only widely disparate but, despite its growth, has not been reviewed since 2012. Our objective was to identify, summarize, and methodologically evaluate studies quantifying the psychosocial effects of assistance dogs for individuals with physical disabilities. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review was conducted across seven electronic databases. Records were independently screened by two authors. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they assessed outcomes from guide, hearing, medical, or mobility service dogs, if they collected original data on handlers' psychosocial functioning, and if the outcome was measured quantitatively with a validated, standardized measure. Studies on psychiatric service dogs, emotional support dogs, and pet dogs were excluded. Of 1,830 records screened, 24 articles were identified (12 publications, 12 theses) containing 27 studies (15 cross-sectional, 12 longitudinal). Studies assessed the effects of mobility (18), hearing (7), guide (4), and medical (2) assistance dog partnerships with an average sample size of N = 83. An analysis of 147 statistical comparisons across the domains of psychological health, quality of life, social health, and vitality found that 68% of comparisons were null, 30% were positive in the hypothesized direction, and 2% were negative. Positive outcomes included significant effects of having an assistance dog on psychological wellbeing, emotional functioning, self-esteem, and vitality. However, it is of note that several methodological weaknesses of the studies make it difficult to draw any definitive conclusions, including inadequate reporting and a failure to account for moderating or confounding variables. Future research will benefit from stronger methodological rigor and reporting to account for heterogeneity in both humans and assistance dogs as well as continued high-quality replication.

The ophthalmic health and refractive state of working dogs in South Brazil

Background:

Working dogs, such as police dogs and guide dogs, have important roles in the contemporary society by performing specific and demanding jobs. Ocular health and the maintenance of good visual acuity are imperative to strong work performance and thus human safety.

Aim:

The aim of this study was to assess ophthalmic abnormalities and refractive errors in police and guide dogs in Brazil.

Methods:

A total of 71 dogs (141 eyes) were evaluated. Ten were guide dogs and 61 were police dogs. The work performance was assessed by a questionnaire to each dog’s handler/owner. All the dogs underwent a complete ocular examination, and abnormalities were classified by condition, if they were active or inactive and if they were located within the visual axis. In addition, 62 dogs were evaluated by streak retinoscopy for refractive errors.

Results:

Ophthalmic abnormalities were detected in 38 (54%) dogs, of which 23 were considered inherited, 25 were considered active, and 10 were located within the visual axis. Incipient cataracts were the most prevalent abnormality. No guide dog had an abnormality within the visual axis. The most common refractive error was myopia with the median and interquartile range of –0.75 ± 0.75 diopters; among these, police dogs had –1.0 ± 0.5 diopters, whereas guide dogs +0.38 ± 0.75 diopters. Police dogs tended to be slightly myopic and guide dogs were emmetropic.

Conclusion:

Despite finding a considerable number of ophthalmic abnormalities and refractive error, work performance was good with no signs of visual impairment in any dog. Regular ophthalmic examinations are advised for working dogs, and an exclusion of severely affected dogs from breeding programs is recommended.

Spotlight on Assistance Dogs-Legislation, Welfare and Research

Simple Summary

Assistance dogs support humans with a variety of disabilities. Although guide dogs in particular have a long tradition in Western cultures, the legal situation around assistance dogs has been insufficiently developed in many countries so far—a situation that potentially negatively affects both animal and owner. There is also an insufficient amount of research examining assistance dogs in other areas. Studies investigating assistance dogs’ welfare status, cognitive and behavioural capacities, selection criteria for the best fitting individuals, effective training and management practices, and genetic issues, are so far mainly lacking. This review takes a comprehensive approach—it initially outlines important aspects of the current legal situation for assistance dogs in the European Union and Australia, and then it summarizes research findings focusing on dogs’ welfare, cognition, behaviour, health and training. For each of these areas, the need for future development is highlighted and potential ideas for future directions are discussed.

Abstract

Assistance dogs are a very diverse group of working dogs that are trained to assist humans with different types of disabilities in their daily lives. Despite these dogs’ value for humankind, research on their welfare status, cognitive and behavioural capacities, selection criteria for the best fitting individuals, effective training and management practices, and genetic issues are so far lacking. This review highlights the need to address these topics and to promote progress in legal issues around assistance dogs. The topic of assistance dogs is approached comprehensively by outlining the current status of knowledge in three different dimensions: (1) the legal dimension, outlining important legal issues in the EU and Australia; (2) the welfare dimension; and (3) the dimension of research, covering assistance dog selection and training. For each of these three dimensions, we discuss potential approaches that can be implemented in the future in order to support assistance dog working performance, to protect the dogs’ welfare, and to improve our knowledge about them. Additionally, there remain many legal issues, such as the presence of assistance dogs in public areas, the resolution of which would benefit both the assistance dog and the owner with disability.

Registrations of Assistance Dogs in California for Identification Tags: 1999-2012

Dogs are filling a growing number of roles supporting people with various disabilities, leading to a chaotic situation in the U.S. Although the federal laws allow public access with working dogs only for people with disabilities, no governmental enforcement or management system for such dogs exists. Furthermore, there is no substantive way to confirm whether the dog is an adequately trained assistance dog or not, as neither the handlers nor the dogs are required to carry any particular certification or identification. Therefore, unqualified assistance dogs and incidents such as dog bites by assistance dogs sometimes are problems in the U.S. A governmental oversight system could reduce problems, but no information is available about the current uses of assistance dogs in the U.S. We aimed to investigate the current demographics of registered assistance dogs and the evolving patterns in uses of dogs during 1999-2012 in California. We acquired data on assistance dogs registered by animal control facilities throughout California. We used descriptive statistics to describe the uses of these assistance dogs. The number of assistance dogs sharply increased, especially service dogs, in the past decade. Dogs with small body sizes, and new types of service dogs, such as service dogs for psychiatric and medical assistance, strongly contributed to the increase. The Assistance Dog Identification tags sometimes were mistakenly issued to dogs not fitting the definition of assistance dogs under the law, such as emotional support animals and some cats; this reveals errors in the California governmental registering system. Seemingly inappropriate dogs also were registered, such as those registered for the first time at older than 10 years of age. This study reveals a prevalence of misuse and misunderstanding of regulations and legislation on assistance dogs in California.

Onco-epidemiology of domestic animals and targeted therapeutic attempts: perspectives on human oncology

The spontaneous tumor biology has been investigated with the support of animalists using animals as a preclinical model allowing translation of results in clinical practice. This review provides an insight into the field of comparative oncology. Evidence shows that companion animal health care is impressively growing in terms of development of new therapies and diagnostic tools, nutrition and disease prevention. However, even if most animal tumors might be a reliable model to study human carcinomas, many open questions, related to the opportunities to select and recruit new models in oncology, along with their legal and ethical implications, remain unanswered.

The success of using trained dogs to locate sparse rodents in pest-free sanctuaries

Context. Better techniques to detect small numbers of mammalian pests such as rodents are required both to complete large-scale eradications in restoration areas and to detect invaders before they become abundant or cause serious impacts on biodiversity. Aims. To evaluate the ability of certified rodent dogs (Canis familiaris) to locate Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) and mice (Mus musculus) or their scent trails at very low densities in field conditions. Methods. We experimentally tested two rodent dogs by releasing small numbers of laboratory rats and mice in a 63 ha rodent-free forest sanctuary and then determining if the dogs and their handlers could find the rodents and their scent trails. We divided the enclosure into two halves, east and west of the midpoint, and alternated releases daily between the two areas to minimise residual scent between consecutive trials. Radio-tagged rats or mice were released a total of 96 times at random locations that were unknown to handlers, followed for 50–100 m, then caught and either placed in hidden cages at the end of the scent trail or removed from the forest. Handlers and their dogs had up to 6 h to search for rodents. Key Results. Despite the extremely low density of rodents in the effective research area of 32 ha, both dogs were highly successful at finding rodents, together locating 87% of rats and 80% of mice. Handlers reported few false positive detections. We found that well-trained dogs can effectively cover 30–40 ha of steep forested habitat in half a day (6 h). Conclusions. Despite the limitations of our study design, we conclude that well-trained rodent dogs may be able to locate wild rodents at low densities in forest situations. Implications. Our results support the ongoing use of certified dogs to detect rodent survivors and invaders in conservation areas in New Zealand and elsewhere. Additional research is required to trial dogs on experimentally released wild rodents and to compare the cost-effectiveness of dogs with other detection methods.

Domestic dogs and human health: an overview

PURPOSE

The domestic dog is one of the most commonly owned, and widely utilized, animals in today's society. This paper provides an overview of research that has explored the relationship between the domestic dog and human well-being.

METHODS

The article initially concentrates on the value of dogs for physical health in humans, exploring the evidence that this species can prevent us from becoming ill, facilitate our recovery from ill-health, and even serve as an early warning system for certain types of underlying ailment including cancer, oncoming seizures and hypoglycaemia. The paper then examines the relationship between dogs and psychological health in humans, exploring the ability of this species to aid the disabled and serve as a therapist to those in institutional settings such as hospitals, residential homes and prisons. Weaknesses in the existing research in this area are highlighted throughout the article.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, the studies reviewed suggest that dogs can have prophylactic and therapeutic value for people.