UK Farmers Track Cows' Behavior by Connecting Them to the Internet

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By Colin Daileda2013-09-17 01:25:55 UTC

A ranch in Essex, England has started connecting its cows to the Internet to monitor any changes in behavior that could signal disease.

The team behind the Cow Tracking Project attach a GPS device to each cow, and place sensors around their shed to monitor their movements and sleeping habits. That information is then sent to the farmer's computer. Disruptions in a cow's regular pattern (e.g. sleeping more or moving around less than usual) could signal illness, so daily updates can help the farmer quickly catch these changes.

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What's more, the project can save farmers from having to put in extra labor and spending money on antibiotics after infections have fully developed.

"We reckon every case we get costs us 300 pounds," John Torrance, a farmer in Essex, told the BBC. "Every case you reduce, potentially you're reducing your costs."

The Cow Tracking Project aims to eventually include real-time updates by sending relevant information to farmers via texts and emails. For now, the cows are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Watch the video, above, for more.

Image: Flickr, Chesapeake Bay Program

Topics: Apps and Software, cows, digital, Gadgets, GPS, Tech, tracking, World