Technology being tested on UK farms collects daily data on cow weight, body condition and mobility, helping to identify those in need of treatment
Life
January 31, 2023
Technology can help keep cows healthy
Alan Hopps/Moment RF/Getty Images
An aerial scanning system combined with artificial intelligence automatically assesses the health status of cows twice a day at dozens of ‘smart’ dairy farms across the UK.
3D cameras film the backs of animals as they exit the milking barn, while sensors read their individual ID tags. The associated computers then use machine learning to process the data, providing essential daily information about each cow’s weight, body condition and mobility, says Wenhao Zhang of the University of the West of England ( UWE) in Bristol, UK. …