Drone walking a dog.

Researchers are always developing and thinking of new ways that drones or unmanned aerial vehicles can be used. They are being used and studied in various industries and sectors including the military, agriculture, retail, delivery services, and even the arts. In the not so distant future, drones may even be used to take pets out for a walk in the park. (video)

A New Yorker by the name of Jeff Myers recently uploaded a video to Vimeo showing how that idea can work in real life today.

Myers, who likes to experiment with product design and interaction design, created a video showing a person programming the walking route of his dog into an AR drone. The AR drone was then used to take the dog for a walk around the neighborhood. The drone is attached to the end of the dog’s leash and flies above the dog as the pooch strolls along the streets.

The AR drone apparently also keeps an eye on the pet, as shown in the video which occasionally shifted perspectives from a third-party viewer to the perspective of the drone looking down at the dog.

The idea seems feasible if you have a very well-behaved pet like the dog in the video, but in reality more careful planning and programming may be required for larger and more strong-willed pets or even for small ones. Also, it may take more than a drone to clean up after pets who leave smelly surprises on the sidewalks. There are so many things to consider about using drones to take pets out for a walk, but Myers simply takes a fun concept and illustrates how it would look like if such a thing could be done today.

Real or not, the project shows the possibility of people having an automated relationship with their pets in the next few years with the help of unmanned robotic systems. It also shows the potential of such systems in helping people with mobility problems accomplish normal tasks like walking the dog.

Watch Myers’s video on walking dogs with drones.

 Via PSFK