At a disaster site such as a building collapse, we can often see trained rescue dogs searching for trapped survivors with their sensitive sensations. They can squeeze into areas that rescuers can't enter. Now, rescue dogs have added a new smart seat belt that can play a greater role by gathering and sending important information about their environment.

Developed by researchers Alper Bozkurt and David Roberts of North Carolina State University in the United States, this smart seat belt is part of the Smart Emergency Response System (SERS). The rest of the system was developed by other agencies in the United States, including drones and robots. Once SERS starts running, the three parts can be deployed at the same time, work together and share data through the computer interface.

Bozkurt and Roberts started with existing rescue dog harnesses and added various sensors that can monitor the environment, monitor rescue dogs, and communicate.

Environmental sensors include cameras, microphones, and GPS. Workers can also add specific sensors based on actual needs. They can be gas sensors or Geiger counters. Sensors can wirelessly transmit data to other SERS parts, including central command centers or nearby handheld devices.

Sensors can not only let rescue workers know which situations endanger them or those who are to be rescued, but also let them know if rescue dogs are at risk. There is an additional set of sensors that can detect the physiology and behavior of rescue dogs, and transmit rescue dog heart rate data. This information can let the user know the rescue dog situation and whether the rescue dog is excited because of the smell.

This smart seat belt communication system allows trainers to deliver verbal instructions to rescue dogs through the speakers on the seat belts. In addition, researchers are developing a haptic system to communicate commands through a vibration motor embedded in a seat belt. But Roberts quickly pointed out that the vibration is to promote rather than punishment, and the trainer uses a reward mechanism when training the rescue dog to respond to the vibration.

A team at Auburn University in Alabama, USA, is also developing a similar system that also communicates trainers' commands through speakers and motors on seatbelts.

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