Picture this: an anti-saliva screen smeared in peanut butter. On it flashed a graphic image of cartoon moles popping up and down through holes in the earth. One puppy watched intently, using its muzzle to pounce on each “mole” as it emerged from its shelter. When he succeeds, a special touch screen control panel will issue a gift.
Joipaw’s version of Whack-A-Mole is designed to keep dogs energized, but it can also help older dogs stay sharp and prevent dementia.
Video games for dogs
Joipaw is a UK-based startup co-founded by Dersim Avdar, a longtime gamer and dog dad. The first time he got the idea for a dog video game console was when he realized his dog, Kawet, needed more attention than he and his wife could give.
Avdar soon realized that gaming consoles could also benefit seniors after reading a 2017 European study in which 300 dogs (and 20 wolves) played simple games on a screen. touch image. Researchers have found potential cognitive benefits to the aging dog brain.
Avdar told Axios: “I’m taking the torch these researchers lit and taking it further.
Ironing wrinkles
While they are much simpler than games designed for humans, it still takes a bit of coaxing to get most dogs to start playing. That’s where peanut butter comes in. This was certainly an obstacle, but according to Avdar, it was the “miracle moment when you saw the light in their eyes” that made the project worthwhile.
Joipaw’s Future
Clara Mancini, professor of animal-computer interaction at the Open University in the UK and a scientific adviser to Joipaw, says touchscreen brain games for dogs are an innovation. very promising”. Not only can they help keep older dogs sharp, but they also have the potential to help shelter dogs that are experiencing institutional stress.
“The idea is to try to develop technology that starts to reduce the distance between humans and animals rather than increasing it,” says Mancini.
Games—including the bubble counting challenge—are still being prototyped. Avdar is currently working on avoiding hedgehogs to allow dog parents to play with their pups.
The Joipaw release timeframe is yet to be determined and Avdar is still working on a pricing model. The system will include special touch screens, a panel that dispenses snacks and a subscription service to purchase games. Joipaw will also feature leaderboards, so dog parents can keep an eye on how their pups rank against other competitive dogs.
