‘Gau Raksha’ Goes Hi Tech, But In Australia: Scientists Invent GPS Fitness Tracker That Helps Monitor Bovines

Australian scientists have completed successful trials of a new fitness tracker for cows. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is developing a smart ear tag for cows in collaboration with agricultural startup Ceres Tag, as per the Australian Science Agency.

The device will operate along the lines of smartwatches for humans; it will enable farmers to track the location of their cattle through the use of GPS, and by using accelerometers, it will also be able to inform the farmers of any unusual activity, says a report by CNET.

Last year, Japanese scientists had created a smart shirt for animals so that they could better deal with summer heat, allowing them to keep producing milk. British scientists had also been involved in developing wearables for cows, when they developed a smart collar which would notify a farmer if his cow was lowering its head- generally an indication that the cow was ill or in heat.

CSIRO said that it was hopeful that its device would become the first to be accredited for “provenance to international traceability standards”. It also said that it was looking to develop a smaller and more lightweight version of the device in the future, which would also be able to detect other attributes like temperature.