Not For Humans, This Fitness Tracker Is For Aussie Cows

It is normal to see humans using fitness trackers to help monitor their daily health and workout routines. But now, similar tracker is suggested to be used on animals. Animals here are not regular pet dogs or cats but cows and other cattle. People want to use tracker to keep a record on their cows and other cattle’s health.

CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organ) and agricultural startup Ceres Tag are now teaming up to create a smart ear tag for cows. Although it is quite similar to the chip that the Karnataka government used on their cattle, it seems to work more efficiently.

What are this fitness tracker’s capabilities?

This tracker is designed to help expand the lifespan of the animal. And the cow will wear this tracker on its ear. It produces pretty much the same data as consumer smart watch. There is a basic sensing potential, allowing ranchers to keep track of their cattle. It also goes beyond just that. With the accelerometers, it is able to warn the owner if a cow makes any weird movements. Through this, the owner will know the condition of his cow, whether it is sick, hurt or giving birth. By using this method, farmers will save money and time compared to manually tracking their cattle with other vehicles.

Moreover, with IoT technology, the tracker also has a GPS which allows exact location of each cow to be tracked. According to what Ceres Tag CEO David Smith said, this will help pinpoint lost and stolen cows and improve grazing management. Up until now, 100 cows at a CSIRO research station have been put on the test. And the results came out promising. It is a regret that the production cost of these tags is not revealed. If they can be manufactured economically, India’s farmers can also take advantage of this technology.