[NAGDU] Robot guide dog?

Sat Jul 8 17:56:16 UTC 2017

Tracy,

Yeah. As I've been sort of idly pondering the general robot idea and 
what people are saying about it, it has occurred to me that I would 
probably be quite happy with a high-tech approximation of a guide dog, 
and a nice pet dog to play and take long walks with. I get the 
impression my dog likes his job, especially the part where we're going 
out adventuring. He needs to forego a lot of simple doggy pleasures on 
working adventures, but I really get the impression he gets something 
out of being the lead dog with important responsibilities that keep his 
active brain nicely occupied. Or maybe after all the training and gushy 
praise every time he did the right thing, he's just happy to be a good 
boy. Who knows? I did wonder briefly if I would be depriving him of 
something just doing pet things with him and using a machine to do his 
work, but that was silly. He would be just fine sniffing and veering off 
the sidewalk to check out what's under the bushes at the end of the 
leash and watching squirrels instead of pedestrians and traffic. I could 
go along with my nice, dependable robot without having to constantly 
remind it to Leave It and get back to work. I must also be more 
intrigued by the notion than I realize, since I've expanded and upgraded 
the indoor robot under consideration. /lol/

I feel the same way as you about the companionship aspect. Yes, I enjoy 
my dog's company and just like having him with me on the go and around 
the house. I even enjoy some of the silliness his youthful self injects 
into his important, serious work. There are a couple of besetting sins 
we're still working on and will probably be working on to some extent 
throughout his career, but that seems to be part of using a guide dog. 
They're supposed to be perfect, but they're not. Anyway, I enjoy him and 
feel a sense of companionship that I appreciate, but that is most 
definitely not the point and certainly not worth the hassles that seem 
to be part of guide dog use.  It's his careful, clever guiding that 
makes it worth brushing the hassles off as just part of the package. One 
of the hassles that crops up and by now sends me into an instant fury is 
the syrupy sweet out of nowhere comment, "Oh, I think it's just so nice 
that you have such a good friend to make you feel better." I've given up 
trying to find a way to get across that he's doing some pretty complex 
work just so I can walk around safely and that they're sort of 
interrupting him in it while they're gushing that incredibly offensive 
nonsense. Now I just take a deep breath, ignore the whistling sound as 
steam bursts out of my ears and move on. At least I've never burst into 
a rant about how I have friends -- people friends! -- so I don't need to 
get a dog just to have a friend. That would be just too pathetic. /lol/

Some of the serious ideas people have discussed about how a guide robot 
could function to be a good mobility aid are really great, along with 
the pros and cons and future projections. I've thought of a few of them, 
but many never crossed my mind. I, too, think it will be a good long 
while before a lot of it happens, and there will be a number of 
intermediate versions along the way, some good and some not. My kiddo is 
just three, and I'm already dreading having to start considering my next 
in another 6 or 7 years. I'll be into my 60's by then, so he's my last 
poodle for sure. Possibly my last owner-trained guide. Sad for me, but 
sadder for whichever school trainer has to deal with me along about 
then. /lol/ Then I'll be back to all the new young dog nonsense, only 
I'll be older and crabbier. Yay! Robot, please! /lol/

Tami

On 07/08/2017 09:22 AM, Tracy Carcione via NAGDU wrote:
> I don't expect to see a machine with the intelligence and versatility of a
> good guide dog in my lifetime, but I agree with Alicia's points about the
> up-side of such a thing.
> 
> The older I get, the less I enjoy breaking in a new dog, especially since
> the last 2 have taken literally years to get into a smooth working
> relationship, and have retained some behaviors I would be happy to do
> without.
> 
> I suppose some people are thinking "well then, use a cane", but, for me, a
> cane is nowhere near as good as a guide dog, especially with my hearing
> getting worse and cars getting quieter. And there are things a dog can do a
> cane just can't.
> 
> I don't think companionship is a good reason to have a guide dog.  To me,
> that smacks of the "companion in our lonely darkness" crap sometimes peddled
> by guide dog schools that makes me crazy.  I firmly believe blind people
> don't need canine companionship any more or less than anyone else.  I can't
> imagine my life without a dog in it, but, if I didn't have a guide dog, I'd
> have a pet.  There are days when I've gotten up off my butt to go for a
> walk, because I know my dog and I can use the work, even on days I don't
> have a particular place to go.  But I frequently meet my neighbors
> exercising their dogs, and I could do the same. I would miss the constant
> presence of a dog, but there would be things I wouldn't miss, too.
> 
> So, while I don't expect to actually ever have one, I can see the
> possibilities of a robot guide.
> 
> Tracy
> 
>   
> 
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