In Brief

Fit Fido? New Activity Tracker Designed for Dogs

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By Rachael Rettner
published

Voyce is a new activity tracker designed for dogs. (Image credit: i4C Innovations)

Wearable technology has gone to the dogs: a soon-to-be-released device will allow owners to keep tabs on their dogs' activity, rest and even heart rate.

The gadget, called Voyce (made by i4C Innovations) is worn as a collar, and collects information about a dog's steps, calories burned and periods of rest. It even includes a sensor that measures heart and breathing rate with the use of radio frequencies, according to TechHive.

Changes in a dog's activity level may be early indicators of conditions such as arthritis, hip dysplasia or heart/lung problems, according to i4C Innovations.

The device, which was announced this week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, will be available in the spring of 2014 for $299, plus a monthly fee. It is designed to fit dogs with neck a circumference between 12 inches (about the size of a Beagle) and 32 inches (the size of a Mastiff). Owners of toy dogs will have to wait for a smaller version.

Another dog activity tracker, called Whistle Activity Monitor, costs $129.95, and attaches to a dog's collar. It fits dogs over 10 pounds, and tracks walks, play and rest time.

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Rachael Rettner
Rachael Rettner
Contributor

Rachael is a Live Science contributor, and was a former channel editor and senior writer for Live Science between 2010 and 2022. She has a master's degree in journalism from New York University's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program. She also holds a B.S. in molecular biology and an M.S. in biology from the University of California, San Diego. Her work has appeared in Scienceline, The Washington Post and Scientific American.