New wireless technology allows farmers to monitor animals
Technology
Electronics-free device can monitor cow's stress, hydration and well-being levels
(Web Desk) - A new wireless battery-free antenna will allow farmers to monitor animals' vital data remotely.
Scientists at the Tyndall National Institute, one of the hosts of the VistaMilk SFI Research Centre, developed the electronics-free device that can monitor a cow's stress, hydration and general well-being levels.
The device is made of a new material that can be formed into ear tags, udder tags, or skin patches and has the added benefit of being undisturbed by the curvature of the animal's body, a drawback of previous similar devices.
The antennas are then scanned by devices similar to a retail bar scanner, which would be placed in locations such as a cowshed or milking parlour.
The technology is aided by the use of AI models, which can accurately decode the information as it has been trained on industry-related data.
A new wireless battery-free antenna will allow farmers to monitor animals' vital data remotely.
Scientists at the Tyndall National Institute, one of the hosts of the VistaMilk SFI Research Centre, developed the electronics-free device that can monitor a cow's stress, hydration and general well-being levels.
The device is made of a new material that can be formed into ear tags, udder tags, or skin patches and has the added benefit of being undisturbed by the curvature of the animal's body, a drawback of previous similar devices.
The antennas are then scanned by devices similar to a retail bar scanner, which would be placed in locations such as a cowshed or milking parlour.
The technology is aided by the use of AI models, which can accurately decode the information as it has been trained on industry-related data.
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Dr Brendan O’Flynn, of VistaMilk and Tyndall, said: "We’ve got an inert, chipless, batteryless, flexible transmitter – and no electronics means no electronic waste, lower cost, and easier production – and we’ve got sophisticated machine learning programmes to interpret the data.
“At the moment, we’re able to gather information about animal welfare and well-being. In the future, we should be able to gather information about specific diseases and conditions. The antennas – or transmitters – could be wearable patches, or bracelets, that might enable the same monitoring of health data in humans."
VistaMilk director Donagh Berry added: "VistaMilk’s aim is to ‘digitalise dairy’, and this new tech takes us further down the road to a data-driven Irish dairy sector.
“This development, and others like it, will allow for a more efficient and productive system that acknowledges and addresses the global climate challenge. Dairying has been taking place in Ireland for 6,000 years. It employs 60,000 people, sustains 17,500 family farms and delivers €6.8bn to the economy each year.
