Monday, October 22, 2007
The High Tech Farm
Even farms will not be able to escape the high tech revolution with a network of electronic sensors, currently under development by the CSIRO, which could one day allow farmers to monitor every hectare of pasture and every animal using a laptop on the farmhouse veranda. The system could promise to boost the profitability of farming by providing reliable information for the smarter use of land and stock.
Also under development is the animal sensor, a solar-powered unit the size of a mobile phone battery and attached with a collar, would record the location of the stock using GPS navigation and motion detectors could also show if a cow was walking, running, resting, grazing or ruminating. A Series of other detectors could monitor the animal's health or its weight, which determines when it is ready for market.
Similarly, soil sensors would collect and transmit data on temperature, sunlight, plant characteristics and soil moisture - all of which inform farmers about when and where to move their animals.
Also under development is the animal sensor, a solar-powered unit the size of a mobile phone battery and attached with a collar, would record the location of the stock using GPS navigation and motion detectors could also show if a cow was walking, running, resting, grazing or ruminating. A Series of other detectors could monitor the animal's health or its weight, which determines when it is ready for market.
Similarly, soil sensors would collect and transmit data on temperature, sunlight, plant characteristics and soil moisture - all of which inform farmers about when and where to move their animals.
# posted by Peter Saville - IT Consultant @ 6:02 AM 
