Washington: Dog owners may soon be able to command their pet with a remote control! Scientists have developed a remote control system for dogs which will allow owners to command their canines wirelessly. Researchers at Alabama's Auburn University created the system which is worn like a backpack by the dog, and consists of a microprocessor, wireless radio, GPS receiver and an attitude and heading reference system. It also contains an embedded command module which uses vibrational and audio tone cues, to which the dog has previously been trained to respond, 'Gizmag' reported.

The system operates autonomously, guiding dogs to pre-established GPS waypoints - although it could presumably also be used to relay commands sent by a human user in real time. During tests in a structure and non-structured environment, dogs showed obedience accuracy up to almost 98 per cent. Researchers Jeff Miller and David Bevly of the Department of Mechanical Engineering demonstrated that a search and rescue or other working dog can be trained to respond "virtually flawlessly" to remote control tones and vibrations as if they were immediate commands from a human handler. The system is intended for use in situations in which a dog's handler is unable to physically accompany the animal, or where loud noises make it impossible for the dog to hear verbal commands.