Do you love those old-school, point-and-shoot cameras? So does a dog named Grizzler. Nikon recently strapped a camera to this particular pup so that he could capture all of his favorite things.
The project, called Heartography, uses a heart-rate strap, some 3D-printed mounting gear, and a camera to snap photos whenever the wearer (in this case, the one and only Grizzler) gets excited. The heart rate monitor operates the shutter button, signaling the camera to snap a shot only when the dog's heart rate reaches a specific threshold — around 120 BPM — that indicates a heightened emotional state, such as fear or intense joy (usually the latter).
The photos that Grizzler takes actually aren't half bad. They include images of grass, flowers, people, other dogs, and even a cat — pretty much exactly what you might expect would make a dog giddy. The idea of animal's-eye-view photography isn't something new; GoPro offers a harness for adventure-loving dogs, but, once you start recording with it, you see everything the dog sees until you hit the "stop" button. This can make for a lot of shaky field-frolicking film. There are also pet collars with built-in cameras, and even a photographer cat named Cooper, who lives in Seattle. Then there was that time a monkey borrowed a photographer's camera for a selfie — and sparked a serious copyright dispute.
Grizzler's photos are unlikely to initiate many legal dilemmas, as far as we can tell. As of now, Heartography seems like just a one-off project from Nikon, and not something it will commercialize — yet. Still, we figure someone will eventually DIY a heart-rate photo kit so we can try out the project ourselves. Then we can really learn if we're our dog's best friend — or if he's more in love with the hydrant across the street. (Quartz)
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