Scientists created a system for monitoring the condition of cattle based on wearable sensors

MIET engineers have developed a system for monitoring the cattle condition based on wearable sensors. The development is expected to be at least 20% cheaper than foreign analogues and to increase the productivity of one animal by 2-3 liters of milk per day due to the timely response to deviations in food or water consumption. The animal testing as part of the “Smart Farm” project will begin in 2022.

The main partner of the project is the Federal Scientific Agroengineering Center VIM, which is the leading and largest center for digitalization, robotization and developments in the field of artificial intelligence in agriculture.

“The data processing algorithm is based on continuous monitoring of a fairly large number of parameters: temperature, motor activity, heart murmurs, acidity. These parameters are collected in real time, based on the developed mathematical models and the obtained dependencies. They make it possible to detect at an early stage a number of diseases, deviations in the diet,” said Dmitry Pavkin, the head of the laboratory, senior researcher at the Federal Scientific Agroengineering Center VIM.

The developed system consists of a bolus, a lameness sensor and a base station. The dimensions of the capsule are up to 140 mm in length, up to 40 mm in diameter; the weight of the device is maximum 250 g.

“A bolus is a small capsule that is placed in the animal's stomach. It transmits information about the temperature, physical activity and other physiological parameters of the animal via a wireless interface. The lameness sensor is mounted on the leg or neck: it also collects basic physiological parameters and has a communication module for transmitting telemetry data to the base station. Using the lameness sensor, one can determine the location of the animal. The base station receives and transmits telemetry data from boluses and lameness sensors,” explained Vladimir Zhmylev, an employee of the NTI Competence Center "Sensorica”, an assistant at the Institute of Microdevices and Control Systems.

Experts add that the system allows specialists to detect estrus and give animal technicians a signal about the parturition. The new development is also expected to increase the efficiency of dairy cattle breeding and the life expectancy of the cattle by at least one lactation period.

In 2022 scientists are planning to launch several pilot projects and test the system in real conditions.