Pig farmers get smart
Low-cost sensors and wireless communication technologies have enabled moves towards smart homes and smart cars. Using similar technologies, scientists involved in an EU-funded project called ALL-SMART-PIGS are now developing technologies that turn pigs' farms into smart farms. "ALL-SMART-PIGS aims to come up with a package of technologies to make pig farming more profitable while at the same time improving animal welfare," explains the project coordinator Heiner Lehr, who is a partner with the Barcelona office of Syntesa, in Spain, an international innovation consultancy. "We are using sensors to detect animals' needs," Lehr tells CommNet, adding: "and by satisfying those needs more quickly, the payback is healthier animals that grow faster, so it's win-win for the animals and the farmer."