Why scientists developed a smart watch for cows

By Mark Waghorn via SWNS

A smart watch for COWS has been developed that could help combat resistance to antibiotics.

The bovine "fitbit" monitors the health of cattle - lowering the use of drugs, say scientists.

It could become commonplace in ranches of the future - boosting reproduction, food safety and supply chain efficiency.

It could also improve environmental conditions for cattle - capturing the kinetic energy created by even their smallest movements.

Co-author Dr. Zutao Zhang, of Southwest Jiaotong University, said: "On a ranch, monitoring environmental and health information of cattle can help prevent diseases and improve the efficiency of pasture breeding and management.

"This information can include oxygen concentration, air temperature and humidity, amount of exercise, reproductive cycles, disease, and milk production."

Globally, almost three quarters of antibiotics are administered to farm animals to treat disease, stimulate growth and prevent infections.

A growing body of evidence links this widespread usage to the rise of antimicrobial resistant infections in both animals and humans.

The World Health Organization says it is one of the biggest threats to the future of mankind.

Over time, the ever-presence of antibiotics enables bacteria to become immune to them. The drugs are no longer able to kill germs.

The Chinese team’s sensor is placed around a cow's ankles and neck as they go about their regular activities. It records everything - how much they stand, lie down or graze.

Co author Dr. Yajia Pan said: "There is a tremendous amount of kinetic energy that can be harvested in cattle's daily movements, such as walking, running, and even neck movement."

Once captured, the energy is stored in a lithium battery - and used to power the device.

Zhang said: "Our kinetic energy harvester specially harvests the kinetic energy of weak motion."

The unique design contains a motion enhancement mechanism that uses magnets and a pendulum to amplify small movements the cows make.

Zhang hopes implementing smart technology on farms will be part of a larger effort to improve the world’s food systems.

He said: “With the development of 5G technology and the Internet of Things, the operation of the entire industrial chain of the food system is more intelligent and transparent."

In tests on humans, a light jog was enough to power temperature measurement in the device - which is described in the journal iScience.

The researchers see future applications in sports monitoring, healthcare, smart home and the construction of human wireless sensor networks.

Zhang added: "Kinetic energy is everywhere in the environment - leaves swaying in the wind, the movement of people and animals, the undulation of waves, the rotation of the earth - these phenomena all contain a lot of kinetic energy. We shouldn't let this energy go to waste."