Search and rescue dogs are essential in times of catastrophe. They search and dig through piles of rubble to locate people in order to save them. However, it would be even more helpful if not just the pooch could see down that dark hole as well. That’s were the Canine Augmentation Technology (CAT) comes into play. Invented by the Network-Centric Applied Research Teamgroup of students at Ryserson University in Canada. Human rescuers along with the CAT can now monitor sound and video beamed wirelessly from cameras and microphones worn by the dogs as they search through the remains of buildings levelled by disaster such as fire, earthquakes, or tornadoes. An essential emergency tool that could have possibly saved many more lives if around during 911. CAT has already been tested by the Ontario Provincial Police as well as Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces and just recently won an award for its main inventor Alex Ferworn. I certainly hope that this becomes a required piece of equipment when it comes to saving lives in the future.

