Touch- and IMU Driven Prosthetic Tail for Canine Communication and Balance

Dogs use their tails for both social signalling and dynamic balance. Traumatic caudectomy or congenital absence can therefore reduce quality of life. This paper presents a lightweight, low-cost prosthetic tail that restores expressive wagging and assists balance using wearable sensing and embedded control. The system integrates multiple capacitive touch pads sewn into a soft jacket to detect petting, an inertial measurement unit (gyroscope) to estimate body tilt, and an Arduino-class microcontroller that maps sensor inputs to two servo motors. A segmented 3D-printed tail and compact linkage provide two degrees of freedom: left–right wagging and elevation control. The control algorithm modulates wag amplitude and frequency with touch intensity while adjusting tail elevation in response to gyroscope input, emulating natural tail behaviours during interaction and motion. The electronics are housed in a small printable enclosure with battery power, and the design emphasizes comfort, safety, and ease of donning. A bench-top and mannequin evaluation demonstrated reliable sensing, smooth motion, and responsive behaviour to touch and tilt. The prototype establishes a practical platform for canine prosthetics focused on communication and stabilization; future work will include on-dog fit testing, extended battery life, and quantitative gait and behaviour studies