Date: May 22, 2021
To: Boston Dynamics
From: Ayah Ali
Subject: Robotic Guide Dogs
Purpose
This proposal has two aims: The purpose of this proposal is to convince Boston Dynamics to create robotic guide dogs for the visually impaired. This proposal also aims to address the flaws of owning actual guide dogs and how robotic guide dogs would be a better alternative.
Summary
Life can be very difficult for the visually impaired. Imagine being blind and unable to freely move around due to the constant fear of getting hurt or getting lost. This is enough to convince a blind person that they are only safe at home. But, thanks to guide dogs, owners can feel more secure and free. Guide dogs are trained to avoid obstacles so that they can help the visually impaired move around safely, and successfully get from one place to another. Owning a guide dog sounds like the perfect solution for the visually impaired, but it can also be very difficult. Guide dogs are only able to work for a few years and are very expensive. They require training, care, and sometimes visits to the vet. To add to this, dogs are emotional and there is no guarantee that they won’t run away or act up.
Robotic guide dogs would be a better option for the visually impaired. They do not need to be cleaned up after, they don’t require visits to the vet, they don’t require training, and they are much more affordable. Boston Dynamics has already created robotic dogs which proves that they are capable of creating robotic guide dogs for the visually impaired.
Introduction
One of the major issues that the visually impaired deal with is the feeling of constantly relying on a caretaker or loved one to help them throughout the day. Luckily, there are other options for those who do not want to rely on anyone. One being a white cane which is affordable and lasts pretty long. It helps users understand their surroundings by checking if there are any obstacles ahead. But, canes can break, get stuck, and they definitely won’t alert the user of a nearby car. Guide dogs, on the other hand, allow the visually impaired to move freely without constantly relying on a caretaker. They are trained to avoid obstacles while also keeping their owner safe and bringing them from one location to another. But, the issue is that guide dogs are expensive, making them only accessible to those who can afford one. Also, they require care such as visits to the vet, baths, food, and they need to be cleaned up after.
Robotic dogs are much less high-maintenance and more accessible as they are much more affordable. In 2020, Boston Dynamics released Spot, a robotic dog that is able to detect gas leaks, carry heavy objects, and perform tasks related to areas such as healthcare, research, construction, etc. (Stieg, 2020). The tasks that Spot could perform are extremely advanced when compared to actual guide dogs. This shows that Boston Dynamics would be successful in creating a robotic guide dog.
Proposed Tasks
Task 1: Acknowledge the Flaws of Owning a Guide Dog
Guide dogs are great at helping the visually impaired move around safely. But, owning a guide dog has its difficulties. Three of the major difficulties include affordability, behavior, and care.
Affordability
On average, a guide dog costs around $40,000-$60,000 (Colby, 2017). What determines the cost is the breeding of the dog, raising, training, instruction for both the guide dog user and guide dog team, equipment, room and board (during training), transportation to and from the training school, and follow-up services (Colby, 2017). To add to this, an estimate of $1,200 is also paid each year towards visits to the vet, food, toys, vaccinations, etc. Also, guide dogs are usually only able to work for about 8 years. After the guide dog is unable to work, the owner’s previous struggles return.
Care
Like all dogs, guide dogs need to be fed, bathed, cleaned up after, given attention, and they always have the risk of getting sick. In 2008, a Japanese study revealed that the visually impaired who owned guide dogs were reported to have higher daily stress levels when compared to those who did not own a guide dog (Koda & Motsunaka, 2008). One reason is because of how difficult it could be to take care of a dog while having visual impairment. The tasks may seem more dreadful and time-consuming. Another reason is because of services that do not allow animals in stores, even service animals. In Japan, many guide dog users were refused service in restaurants, public transportation, etc. because of the lack of acceptance of guide dogs within the society (Koda & Motsunaka, 2008).
Table 1: Nonuser Stress vs User Stress
Behavior
Many guide dogs no longer work due to behavior issues. The main behavioral reasons for why they withdraw from working include fear and aggression, environmental anxiety, and training problems caused by a lack of confidence or willingness to work (Todd, 2016).
Table 2
Task 2: Designing a Robotic Guide Dog
When designing a robotic guide dog, we must consider the flaws of real guide dogs. Firstly, dogs cannot speak so if the robotic guide dog was designed to speak, the owner would be able to understand more about their surroundings. Also, when it comes to traveling from one place to another, the robotic dog could be designed to have a built-in GPS system similar to the Waze app. This allows the robotic dog to safely bring their owner to the destination.
Some other concerns include:
Water Damage
Spot, the robotic dog created by Boston Dynamics, was designed to be water-proof and dust-proof. It was also designed to withstand temperatures as low as -4 degrees to temperatures as high as 113 degrees fahrenheit (Machemer, 2020). Therefore, Boston Dynamics would succeed in creating a robotic guide dog that works well in all environmental conditions.
Battery Life
Like all electronics, robotic guide dogs also need to be charged. Spot’s battery life only lasts 90 minutes and takes about 2 hours to fully recharge (Amadeo, 2021). This would be a major issue for robotic guide dog users since they would need to use the robotic dog throughout the day. The battery life would need to last at-least 8 hours per charge.
It would also be difficult for the owner to manually charge their robotic guide dog. But, Boston Dynamics’ Spot has a charging dock similar to robotic vacuums (Amadeo, 2021). This allows Spot to automatically walk to the charging station when their battery is low.
Along with the charging dock, another charging option would be a portable charger or battery. When out in public and the robotic guide dog’s battery gets low, the owner could just plug the portable charger onto the robotic dog.
Navigating Throughout the Home
If an owner of a robotic guide dog wanted to go to a certain room of their house, the dog would not know where to bring them. Therefore, the robotic guide dog should be given the ability to scan the home. After scanning the entire home, the owner could name each room. This would allow the owner to tell the robo dog commands such as “take me to the living room”.
Obstacles
Spot was already designed to avoid obstacles, similar to self-driving cars. Spot also has 360 degree vision making it fully aware of nearby obstacles (Machemer, 2020). If the same technology is used when designing the robotic guide dog, it would be very successful.
Leash
One question that arises is “how would the owner know how to follow the dog?”
Just like normal dogs, the robotic guide dog would also need a leash. The leash is very essential since it is what will help the dog guide its owner.
Task 3: Designing an App
After designing the robotic guide dog, the next step would be the designing of an app. The app would need to have a voice-activated option since it is directed towards the visually impaired who cannot read. The app has many purposes:
Charging
If the robotic guide dog is at the charging station, the owner could command for the dog to walk up to them via tracking their phone. Also, if the dog’s battery is full, the owner will receive a notification.
GPS
The app will also have a built-in GPS system which will allow the phone to track the dog and vice-versa. It could also be used for the owner to state where they want the robotic guide dog to bring them. If the dog happens to get stolen, it can easily be tracked by using the app.
Data
The app will have important data saved. It will save common routes and scannings of locations (such as the owner’s home with each room labeled). Also, if any technical difficulties happen to occur, the data will be saved and the owner will have the option to share it with the company so that they could improve the product.
Schedule
| Tasks | Dates |
| Send Proposal for Approval | May 20, 2021 – June 20, 2021 |
| Designing a Guide Dog | June 30, 2021 – June 30, 2022 |
| Designing an App | June 30, 2022 – January 1, 2023 |
| Testing the Product | January 10, 2023 – June 30, 2023 |
| Release Date | July 1, 2023 |
Budget
Since the aim of this proposal is to provide the visually impaired with a more accessible option, the product itself should be affordable. Real guide dogs cost about $50,000 which is unaffordable to many people. Therefore, a reasonable price for each robotic guide dog is about $3500. As for the designing and production of the product and app, a budget of $15 million would be reasonable.
Appendix:
Waze : A GPS navigation app
Spot : A robotic dog created by Boston Dynamics
References
Amadeo , Ron. “Boston Dynamics’ Robot Dog Gets an Arm Attachment, Self-Charging Capabilities.” Ars Technica, 3 Feb. 2021, arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/02/boston-dynamics-robot-dog-gets-an-arm-attachment-self-charging-capabilities/#:~:text=If%20Spot%20has%20missions%20that,two%20hours%20to%20fully%20charge.
Machemer, Theresa. “Businesses Can Now Buy Spot, Boston Dynamics’ Robotic ‘Dog’.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 18 June 2020, www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/businesses-can-now-buy-spot-boston-dynamics-robotic-dog-180975118/.
Matsunaka, Kumiko, and Naoko Koda. “Acceptance of Dog Guides and Daily Stress Levels of Dog Guide Users and Nonusers.” Gale Academic Onefile, Sage Publications, Inc., May 2008, go-gale-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=T002&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&hitCount=1179&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=3&docId=GALE%7CA179977578&docType=Article&sort=Relevance&contentSegment=ZONE-MOD1&prodId=AONE&pageNum=1&contentSet=GALE%7CA179977578&searchId=R1&userGroupName=cuny_ccny&inPS=true.
Morita, Colby. “How Much Does A Guide Dog Cost?” Puppy In Training, 17 Sept. 2017, puppyintraining.com/how-much-does-a-guide-dog-cost/.
Stieg, Cory. “This $75,000 Boston Dynamics Robot ‘Dog’ Is for Sale-Take a Look.” CNBC, CNBC, 22 June 2020, www.cnbc.com/2020/06/22/75000-boston-dynamics-robot-dog-for-sale-take-a-look.html.
Todd, Zazie. Behaviour Problems in Guide Dogs, Blogger, 26 July 2020, www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2016/07/behaviour-problems-in-guide-dogs.html#:~:text=There%20were%20three%20main%20behavioural,social%20behaviour%2C%20excitability%20and%20distraction.
