METHOD
Digital Ethnography
KEY INSIGHT
A service dog is trained to never leave the side of their owner during an emergency, except is there is a known person who they are trained to call
Dogs are taught some behaviors like nudging, pawing, barking etc to alert the owner and/or people in their surroundings about the need for medical assistance
METHOD
Reddit : Secondary Research
KEY INSIGHT
A major predisposition we had was corrected when we learned that the dog is not trained to ask for help from people in public, as this could put the dog at risk.
The dog can sit or lay on top of the handler's body when they are unconscious and nudge or lick their face/neck to help wake them up.
METHOD
Interviews
KEY INSIGHT
The primary role of a medical service dog is to alert (i.e. communicate) and provide medical service to its owner, the aspect of third party communication comes in situations where the owner is incapacitated.
Often, there is scope for miscommunication between the owner and their service dog, when the dog is turning or pawing them, as the owner is confused if it is a medical emergency or the dog requires food/ other attention
Context
Service dogs play a critical role in assisting individuals with disabilities and have been trained to perform a wide range of tasks to improve the quality of life for their handlers. Among the various tasks service dogs are trained for, one vital function is their potential to alert third parties during emergency medical situations. These emergencies can include medical crises where the handler is incapacitated or unable to seek help independently. However in certain emergency situations, the absence of a readily available third party to whom a service dog can alert poses a significant safety risk for the handler or owner. The challenge lies in developing reliable methods and training techniques for service dogs to address such scenarios and ensure the well-being of individuals who depend on them during critical medical situations.
Why ?
What ?
Diabetic or Seizure prone individuals who live alone and own a medical service dog.
In Short,
Who are we designing for ?
Service dog alerts reduced response times by an average of 5 minutes
98% of owner were satisfied with their dogs' communication abilities and felt safer with their dogs present
Service Dogs
in Emergency
Situations
Miro, Figma
Tools
3 weeks
UX Researcher
and UX Designer
Duration
Role
Rajvi Sanghvi
We aim to understand the interactions and behaviours of service dogs and their owners during emergency situations, to allow for critical response and help.
How ?
A solution may sound simple — just train the dog in a certain way — but it’s more complicated than that.
The challenge is to devise innovative methods that broaden the communication capabilities of service dogs, particularly during medical emergencies, ensuring timely intervention and improved outcomes for individuals with diabetes or seizure disorders while minimizing cognitive load on the dogs.
We came up with a Solution that is ...
Seamless Outdoor Alerts
Cost-Effective Universal Solution
Rapid Emergency Response
Simple Training Mechanics
Reduced Cognitive Load on the dog
What do the experts say about the solution ?
Owner walks outdoors with dog
Dog senses something is wrong with owner’s medical condition
Dog touches button on the right to alert the owner to sit down and take their medicines.
Owner also receives an alert on their phone app and it is stored as a data point. Storage of all the alerts on phone allows the owner to track their health condition, and meet a medical professional when deemed necessary
If the owner becomes unconscious and incapacitated, The dog presses the button on the left to alert 911
This would also alert a close friend/family member of the owner, when marked as a third party person to intimate in emergency situations on the app in the phone
1
2
3
4
Having an emergency SOS device for service dogs to notify 911 and/or the owner’s friends/family in outdoor settings would be helpful, as currently such devices are only available as stationary fixtures at home.
When a a dog is in outdoor settings along with a vest, it knows that it is in service mode and it has to take care of its owner, while when they are at home, the dog knows it can turn on its playful mode
Training dogs to use this device (our concept) would take as much time as alerting third parties through pressing a button at home, thus usage of this device doesn’t lead to additional time or costs for training.
User Feedback with Sean Diamond, VP of ICAN
(Indiana Canine Assistant Network)
StoryBoard
WORK
Solution Sketch
A smart vest with an inbuilt GPS, camera with two buttons that can be used for distinct commands.
The commands can be customized to each users’ needs via a connected app.
Solution offers a minimal learning curve for both the user and the dog.
Eliminates need to rely on third parties for help both indoors and outdoors.
The vest can be used as a button mat home when the dog is not supposed to wear a vest or collar.
Different coloured and shaped buttons that are easily accessible by the dog
Zipped Pocket
for instruction pamphlet
An enhanced dog vest with distress buttons on both sides, in-built GPS and a camera.
Camera
