Distributed perception with a guide dog and a robodog
Brian Lystgaard Due · Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) · 2021
This paper argues and shows empirically how perception of the outer world is achieved in and through co-operative practical actions. Perception is not just a cognitive operation that takes place within an individual, but also a practical and social accomplishment that is indexically tied to the sociomaterial world. As a perspicuous case, this paper explores how visually impaired people navigate around obstacles when guided by a guide dog and a robotic “dog”. It is argued that both the dog and the robodog function as semiotic agents that are included in a distributed perceptual field in which the visually impaired person can operate in the pursuit of accomplishing the task of navigating from A to B. The paper is based on ethnomethodological multimodal conversation analysis and a video ethnographic methodology. It contributes to studies in perception, agency and distributed co-operative action.