Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ProDairyWelfare (smaXtec 4.0 – multifunctional Dairy Cattle Sensor System for a proactive productivity and health management in Dairy Farming )
Reporting period: 2018-02-01 to 2019-01-31
The dairy industry has been changing significantly over the last decades. Cost pressure has been leading to farming intensification and consolidation, resulting in an increase in cow sickness and fertility, shorter lifetime of high-yield animals and lower per cow productivity. Other factors such as the increase in milk demand and the increase in regulations have also been influencing the work of dairy farmers in Europe.
smaXtec offers a globally unique inside sensor-based monitoring solution for continuous management of heat, calving, health status and feeding of dairy cows. During the course of this project smaXtec developed a new version of its innovative monitoring system that consists of a new hardware generation, a messenger software as well as a customer-friendly business model.
The smaXtec messenger was completely renewed, the usability of the software increased as well as transformed from a simple alert system into a decision-making tool that offers clear calls to action and facilitates daily work of the farmer. The development of a new bolus hardware that is considerably smaller, with improved functionalities offers significant improvements for our customers and widens the application opportunities. The newly introduced Software as a Service business model focuses on customer friendliness and secures highest flexibility.
The smaXtec system contributes to sustainable dairy production by increasing animal welfare, increasing productivity but decreasing input resources. It improves health management resulting decreased use of drugs and reproduction which increases food security and transparency. Furthermore, reproduction and feed management can be optimized. The economic benefits to the customer are substantial which results in higher competitiveness of agriculture.
smaXtec offers a globally unique inside sensor-based monitoring solution for continuous management of heat, calving, health status and feeding of dairy cows. During the course of this project smaXtec developed a new version of its innovative monitoring system that consists of a new hardware generation, a messenger software as well as a customer-friendly business model.
The smaXtec messenger was completely renewed, the usability of the software increased as well as transformed from a simple alert system into a decision-making tool that offers clear calls to action and facilitates daily work of the farmer. The development of a new bolus hardware that is considerably smaller, with improved functionalities offers significant improvements for our customers and widens the application opportunities. The newly introduced Software as a Service business model focuses on customer friendliness and secures highest flexibility.
The smaXtec system contributes to sustainable dairy production by increasing animal welfare, increasing productivity but decreasing input resources. It improves health management resulting decreased use of drugs and reproduction which increases food security and transparency. Furthermore, reproduction and feed management can be optimized. The economic benefits to the customer are substantial which results in higher competitiveness of agriculture.
The overall objective of the innovation project is to optimize and commercialise a real time Decision Support Tool for a proactive healthcare management of cows matching today´s demands of dairy farming. The aim is to assist the user not only by informing about the actual status of the animals and the herd, but also by giving clear advice on further actions.
At the end of the project three important objectives have been achieved:
1. The smaXtec messenger was transformed into a decision support system for farms in different configurations and sizes. It includes a dashboard illustrating and summarizing all relevant information about health, reproduction and feed management of the entire herd, as well as the herdsman's action list, that indicates important measures for farm management. The alert system was significantly improved by improved algorithms based on machine learning and the combination of different data metrics.
2. The bolus hardware has been redeveloped with a reduction of size of 51 % and a reduction of production costs of 44 %. The accompanying mass production tools for programming and testing as well as laser marking and packaging have been set up. The product is ready for serial production.
3. A innovative Software as a Service business model was introduced that emphasizes the flexibility and the customer's willingness to invest. It is customer oriented but simultaneously securing smaXtec economic stability. The legal framework required for a service model was developed and introduced.
At the end of the project three important objectives have been achieved:
1. The smaXtec messenger was transformed into a decision support system for farms in different configurations and sizes. It includes a dashboard illustrating and summarizing all relevant information about health, reproduction and feed management of the entire herd, as well as the herdsman's action list, that indicates important measures for farm management. The alert system was significantly improved by improved algorithms based on machine learning and the combination of different data metrics.
2. The bolus hardware has been redeveloped with a reduction of size of 51 % and a reduction of production costs of 44 %. The accompanying mass production tools for programming and testing as well as laser marking and packaging have been set up. The product is ready for serial production.
3. A innovative Software as a Service business model was introduced that emphasizes the flexibility and the customer's willingness to invest. It is customer oriented but simultaneously securing smaXtec economic stability. The legal framework required for a service model was developed and introduced.
The continuous monitoring of various different data is already state of the art in dairy industry as it is in other fields of application. “ProDairyWelfare” aimed to go a step beyond “only” presenting the actual health status of the farm animals. The smaXtec system transformed into a decision support tool including clear calls to action and recommendations for the farmer's daily work.
It supports sustainability for the farmer as well as society:
- improved user needs and benefits
- improved health & reproduction management
- optimized feeding management
- decrease of input resources
- decrease of use of antibiotics and drugs
- improved productivity in dairy industry
- increase of food security
It supports sustainability for the farmer as well as society:
- improved user needs and benefits
- improved health & reproduction management
- optimized feeding management
- decrease of input resources
- decrease of use of antibiotics and drugs
- improved productivity in dairy industry
- increase of food security