Your Dog’s Heartbeat Is the Key to This New Canine Camera System

image via youtube screen capture

Photography is going to the dogs, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Japanese camera-maker Nikon has developed a unique photographic accessory that puts the power of pictures into the hands (er, paws) of canine cameramen, giving the world a much-needed dog’s-eye-view of things. While the device looks like a simple dog harness with a camera attached, it is actually a sophisticated heart monitor and wireless remote. Dubbed the “Heartography SmartCase,” the device triggers an enclosed camera to snap a pic when it records an increase in the dog’s heart rate. The result, Nikon claims, is the ability to “turn emotions into photographs.”

According to its dedicated website, the case works by utilizing a conductive elastic band to detect the wearer’s pulse. It then transmits that data via bluetooth to a servo arm which is primed to hit a camera’s digital shutter when there’s been an uptick in heartbeats-per-minute.

Clearly the Heartography SmartCase has applications beyond simple dog walks. For humans, wearing the device would allow for an effortlessly artistic cataloging of emotional or exciting moments over the course of a user’s day. It could even be used to help communicate with people unable to express themselves due to physical or mental impairments. Imagine, for instance, a patient suffering from total paralysis using this device to share their world, their likes, and their anxieties without ever having to push a button. The communicative potential could be profound.

But were it to simply remain a novel pet toy, The Heartography SmartCase would still be worthwhile if for no other reason than it offers us unique insight into the daily lives of our canine companions.

[via huh.]