Wireless network monitors cows' health

A tiny sensor that monitors a cow’s state of health and raises the alarm if anything is wrong has been developed by scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems IMS in Duisburg, Germany.

The system determines the pH level and the temperature inside the cow’s rumen with the aim of removing the risk of farmers overlooking the first signs of disease.

The data is wirelessly transmitted to an external receiver module in the animal’s collar via an encapsulated measuring probe.

A network of sensors then forwards the signals to a central database.

The farmer then receives a warning if the readings are above or below a reference value. At present, the pH level in the rumen can only be measured via pharyngeal probes.

The system uses radio modules that have a long service life due to low energy consumption. The modules are also capable of autonomous networking and do not require supervision or a special infrastructure.

The scientists believe the system can also be adapted to other applications in agriculture and forestry.

The network nodes contain all of the components needed for connecting sensors and actuators.

The system is a joint development by partners in Germany and the Netherlands. The cross-border project is co-financed by the EU program INTERREG IIIA in the Rhine-Waal region, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, and the Gelderland province.

The measuring system will be tested on pilot farms run by the Lower Rhine Chamber of Agriculture and in other research establishments.