How AI and collars help a dairy farm in Tasmania

Modern technologies have allowed a Tasmanian dairy farming couple to free up time for personal matters and other tasks. The farm has introduced a system that uses artificial intelligence and GPS electronic collars. They guide cows to milking with virtually no human involvement.

As Mrs Badcock explained, the robots operate around the clock. When a cow enters the machine, the gate closes behind it, the robot identifies the livestock animal and automatically begins milking. If the time interval between milkings is insufficient, the livestock animal simply eats and moves on.

Dr Megan Verdon, a researcher at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, studied the impact of GPS collar systems on animal welfare. According to her, virtual fencing has the potential to transform labor and infrastructure approaches in the industry, allowing for a rethink of farm design. Dr Verdon believes further study of virtual fencing in combination with autonomous, cow-managed dairy farms is necessary.

The researcher noted that in Simon's system (where the technology is used for batch milking), cows gather into a herd but do not choose their own milking time, unlike the concept of robotic systems. The queue in the pen in front of the robot resembles a traditional farm, yet the key difference lies in the absence of a human, which can have both pros and cons. At the same time, farmers still need to understand animal health, but their workload could decrease, considering their 12-hour and longer workdays.

Currently, such collars under the Halter brand are approved for use in all Australian states except Western Australia, where they are undergoing evaluation.