A State Machine Controller for the Autonomous Guidance of a Trained Canine

This work demonstrates the autonomous command of a trained search canine to multiple waypoints using a novel state machine control algorithm. A hardware system is utilized in order to interface with the Global Position Satellite (GPS) system and with a tone and vibration generator for the purpose of accurately navigating and commanding the canine. An operational control algorithm for autonomous guidance of the canine is described in detail. Empirical results of an autonomously commanded canine are demonstrated with an 73% mission success rate for simple paths and a 62% mission success rate for complex paths. This work demonstrates a novel way to expand the capabilities of canines in a wide variety of missions, including search and detection.