What Is It Boy? New Computer Program Interprets Dog Barks

Dennis Faas's picture

In response to security flaws, prisons all over Israel will soon be equipped with a computer program that can interpret the sounds of a guard dog to distinguish between warning cries and normal barking.

In the past, Israeli prisons have relied on guard dogs to help monitor the surrounding areas and send out warning signals when a convict attempts to escape. However, this system has seen its share of flaws in the past, as guards have admitted to not being able to hear the dogs calling out to them or were unable to respond quick enough to catch the criminal.

Other times, the guards would simply ignore the barking altogether, rendering it insignificant like in the story "the boy who cried wolf".

Barks will be collected through microphones that will either be attached to the animal or situated in a set location. The microphone will be connected to the new computer program that will sort and grade the sounds in term of importance. The barks that are determined to be cries for help will be relayed to prison officials. (Source: usatoday.com)

The prison officials will then check on the situation using surveillance cameras and loudspeakers that zoom into areas patrolled by the dogs.

Many are hoping that the heightened sense of smell and hearing in dogs, coupled with the new computer program, will prove to be an effective combination when catching criminals in the act.

In 2002, Israeli prison services teamed up with Bio-Sense to create a system that would contact prison guards each time a dog noticed something suspicious. The Bio-Sense option had numerous previously recorded barks including yelps incurred during an encounter with a cat, playful barks during a game of fetch, and warning barks during a simulated prison escape. Bio-Sense revealed that emergency barks are usually different than other sounds a dog makes because their stress levels are extremely high in times of danger.

In addition to having systems installed in prisons throughout Israel, Bio-Sense has also maintained a growing number of clients in other sectors. The company urges those who wish to protect their private property to install a Bio-Sense system for safety and peace of mind. (Source: wn.com)

If successful, the system could be used in North American prisons in the near future.

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