Robo-dog! British police pooches to be kitted out with state-of-the-art headcams
heliguy Lab, the British arm of drone specialists heliguy, has unveiled a remarkable tactical dog camera that can provide police forces with a hound’s eye view of a crime.
Created in partnership with Cumbria Constabulary, heliguy’s device features a Sony 8MP IMX219 camera moulded onto an impact-resistant Trident K9 Tactical Helmet worn by police dogs.
The footage, captured from the animal's perspective, is instantly transmitted to a screen worn by police officers, enabling them to see what the dog ahead of them can see.
PC Glenn Myerscough, a dog handler at Cumbria Constabulary, said that the tactical dog camera will transform police firearms operations.
"The camera allows us to work alongside our firearms officers and offers them a real-time commentary of what the dog sees ahead of the team, which is obviously a big plus. This allows our firearms officers to plan and confidently and safely move forward knowing what they are going to face," he said.
The helmet is made of impact-resistant nylon 12, while the nylon protective lenses are interchangeable, meaning they can be swapped with sunglasses to enable mission continuity in all weather situations. Weighing 1kg, the camera and helmet have been designed to be comfortable for the dog to wear, while providing enough support to keep the camera steady.
