Car tech helps cancel noise in dog kennel
The technology that makes your SUV quiet is now in the doghouse, reports David Linklater.
The soundtrack to the holiday season isn’t always enjoyable for family pets – especially when the skies are alight with the sights and sounds of fireworks as we see the new year in.
One possible answer could be a noise-cancelling kennel that uses similar technology to that found in cars and headphones, to protect canine ears and ensure owners do not have to banish their pets away from the rest of the family.
It’s a prototype for now, but Ford has helped create a noise-cancelling kennel using technology from its production cars such as the Endura SUV.
When microphones pick up high levels of noise from the vehicle’s engine or transmission, this is counteracted using opposing sound waves from the car’s audio system.
The kennel is part of a programme called Interventions, which applies automotive
Ford has helped create a noise-cancelling kennel using technology from its production cars such as the Endura SUV.
technology to everyday situations and products.
Once microphones inside the prototype kennel detect the sound of, say, fireworks, a built-in audio system emits opposing frequencies that, in effect, cancel out the noise completely – or at least reduces it significantly.
High-density cork, ideal for sound-proofing, was an integral part of the design.
‘‘Many animals find fireworks scary – and compared to people, dogs can hear things that are four times further away, and across a much wider range of frequencies,’’ says Graeme Hall, a UK trainer who is known as ‘‘The Dogfather’’.
‘‘Preparing in advance of fireworks displays is the key – and part of that is to identify a place where your pets feel safe and happy.’’
‘‘We wondered how the technologies we use in our cars could be applied to help in other situations,’’ says Lyn West, brand content manager, marketing communications, Ford of Europe.