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Animal Centered Computing: Enriching the Lives of Animals
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Animal Centered Computing: Enriching the Lives of Animals

A special issue of Multimodal Technologies and Interaction (ISSN 2414-4088).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (21 September 2020) | Viewed by 18798

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ann Morrison

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Associate Professor, School of Future Environments, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
Interests: animal computer interaction; tangible computing; assistive computing; nature; conservation; animals; futures thinking
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Assoc. Prof. Barbara Bollard

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
Interests: public participation; Marine Protected Areas; GIS and remote sensing technology in conservation applications and planning

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This special issue aims to explore the opportunities and challenges of addressing behavioural issues with animals whether they be in captivity, companion animals or animals in the wild. The work we invite continues work to develop, test and further enrichment levels by the addition of some form of technologies into the design of environments, activities or artefacts.

We encourage authors to submit original research articles, case studies, reviews, theoretical and critical perspectives, and viewpoint articles that address animal enrichment issues and environments.

These may include but are not limited to:

  • Theoretical framings and the design of artefacts and environments for animal enrichment and/or learning
  • Critical engagement with the considerations and consequences of animal computer interaction and animal centred computing technologies
  • How new advances in interactive technologies influence how we understand enriched environments and solutions for animals in captivity, companion animals and animals in the wild
  • Exploration of methods or methodological approaches appropriate for designing and researching animal centred enrichment solutions
  • Case studies of the design and research of animal centred enrichment solutions
  • Empirical studies on the application of animal centred computing for animals in captivity, companion animals and for animals in the wild
  • Emerging trends and potentials in the research and design of animal centred enrichment technologies and environments
  • Conservation planning and conservation application examples, case studies, articles and viable solutions
  • Mixed solutions that address post human research and contemporary urban solutions (e.g. slow cities) that would address vulnerable populations and by extension, also serve to enrich the lives of animals in those environments. 

Of particular interest are articles that critically explore animal centred enrichment and learning environments, when designing for inclusion and/or different abilities, and interdisciplinary perspectives on animal centred design.

Assoc. Prof. Ann Morrison
Assoc. Prof. Barbara Bollard
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Multimodal Technologies and Interaction is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Animal Centered Computing
  • Animal Enrichment
  • Conservation planning
  • Conservation applications
  • Animal Computer Interaction
  • Public participation in animal centered environments

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 256 KiB  
Article
Designing Slow Cities for More Than Human Enrichment: Dog Tales—Using Narrative Methods to Understand Co-Performative Place-Making
by Jane Turner and Ann Morrison
Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2021, 5(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti5010001 - 23 Dec 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5802
Abstract
Designing for slow cities and the need to design for future urban environments that include the more than human is a major priority for our times. This position paper problematizes the nature–culture divide in research about place and place-making, where place is understood [...] Read more.
Designing for slow cities and the need to design for future urban environments that include the more than human is a major priority for our times. This position paper problematizes the nature–culture divide in research about place and place-making, where place is understood to be about the sense of meaning we layer on locations in the physical world. It emphasizes the importance of narrative identity and place-making in the context of designing for urban environmental futures and creation of slow cities. We present an overview of a methodology to re-emplace place-making with animals in the context of slow cities and designing for the more than human. The work discussed here explores the use of narrative inquiry with some early narrative data (in the form of stories) about dog walks and those moments where our companion animals demonstrate agentic place-based meaning-making. The problem of understanding “what animals want” and how they make might ”make sense” of an experience is approached via a focus on a rich exemplar case in order to distinguish between emplotment (narrative meaning-making as self) and emplacement (narrative meaning-making as an aspect of place). This is used to create a framework for future evaluation with a view to revealing how “more than human stories”—just like our own familiar human stories—are also about agency and meaning in place. This recognition has import for ways in which we might approach decentring the human when we frame urban design activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Centered Computing: Enriching the Lives of Animals)

Review

Jump to: Research, Other

18 pages, 6545 KiB  
Review
Choice, Control and Computers: Empowering Wildlife in Human Care
by Jon Coe and Julia Hoy
Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2020, 4(4), 92; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti4040092 - 14 Dec 2020
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 7012
Abstract
The purpose of this perspective paper and technology overview is to encourage collaboration between designers and animal carers in zoological institutions, sanctuaries, research facilities, and in soft-release scenarios for the benefit of all stakeholders, including animals, carers, managers, researchers, and visitors. We discuss [...] Read more.
The purpose of this perspective paper and technology overview is to encourage collaboration between designers and animal carers in zoological institutions, sanctuaries, research facilities, and in soft-release scenarios for the benefit of all stakeholders, including animals, carers, managers, researchers, and visitors. We discuss the evolution of animal-centered technology (ACT), including more recent animal-centered computing to increase animal wellbeing by providing increased opportunities for choice and control for animals to gain greater self-regulation and independence. We believe this will increase animal welfare and relative freedom, while potentially improving conservation outcomes. Concurrent with the benefits to the animals, this technology may benefit human carers by increasing workplace efficiency and improving research data collection using automated animal monitoring systems. These benefits are balanced against cultural resistance to change, the imposition of greater staff training, a potential reduction in valuable animal-carer interaction, and the financial costs for technology design, acquisition, obsolescence, and maintenance. Successful applications will be discussed to demonstrate how animal-centered technology has evolved and, in some cases, to suggest future opportunities. We suggest that creative uses of animal-centered technology, based upon solid animal welfare science, has the potential for greatly increasing managed animal welfare, eventually growing from individual animal enrichment features to facility-wide integrated animal movement systems and transitions to wildlife release and rewilding strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Centered Computing: Enriching the Lives of Animals)
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Other

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23 pages, 4532 KiB  
Project Report
The Design of Musical Instruments for Grey Parrots: An Artistic Contribution toward Auditory Enrichment in the Context of ACI
by Reinhard Gupfinger and Martin Kaltenbrunner
Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2020, 4(2), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti4020016 - 3 May 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4891
Abstract
One particular approach in the context of Animal Computer Interaction (ACI) is auditory enrichment for captive wild animals. Here we describe our research and the methodology used to design musical instruments and interfaces aimed at providing auditory enrichment for grey parrots living in [...] Read more.
One particular approach in the context of Animal Computer Interaction (ACI) is auditory enrichment for captive wild animals. Here we describe our research and the methodology used to design musical instruments and interfaces aimed at providing auditory enrichment for grey parrots living in captivity. The paper is divided into three main phases: a project review and classification, sonic experiments at the parrot shelter and the design of musical instruments. The overview of recent projects that involve animals in the interaction and music-generation process highlights the costs and benefits of projects of this kind and provides insights into current technologies in this field and the musical talents of animals. Furthermore, we document a series of sonic experiments conducted at a parrot shelter to develop acoustically enriched environments through the use of musical instruments. These investigations were intended to provide a better understanding of how grey parrots communicate through sound, perceive and respond to auditory stimuli and possibly generate sound and music through the usage of technological devices. Based on the cognitive, physiological, and auditory abilities of grey parrots, and their intrinsic interest in sonic and physical interactions, we finally developed and tested various interactive instrument prototypes and here we present our design results for auditory enrichment in the context of ACI and artistic research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Centered Computing: Enriching the Lives of Animals)
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