‘Herdsman+ is primarily intended for housed cattle, which is common practice in the UK due to the weather conditions,’ Andonovic explains. ‘Our research builds on a system that we helped develop the technology for. It’s a collar-based system, the output of which can be enhanced through combining inputs not only from the cow, but also from the milk robot and the feeding station. This requires data integration between different systems, which is a major challenge to solve.’ Connecterra’s IDA app relies on location and movement data from cows. Bonnin: ‘Our aim is to make the life of farmers easier, wherever they are situated and regardless of their farming system. Now that we gain a lot of interest from farmers, our biggest challenges have to do with scaling and international expansion. Which is not much to complain about.’

The question of data ownership and the value of data is a constant discussion within all IoF2020 Use Cases. Andonovic: ‘We try to monetize the sharing of data. Data in itself is only the raw material. The real value is in the combination of the data from multiple sources over time. Only then the data starts to tell a story, which ultimately leads to more profitable herd management. We try to show this in our use case, so that farmers overcome their reticence to use systems like this. Farmers who share their data, should always reap the benefit.’ Bonnin: ‘We totally agree on that. It’s in our own interest to create a product that helps the farmer to save money and time. IDA is worth the monthly subscription only when the farmer immediately sees a ROI, a gain in efficiency and farm optimisation. We expect to help reduce farm overhead costs by 20%.’

‘IoF2020 provides a great knowledge base for us. Being part of the project, allows us to reflect on what we do, which makes our business more solid. When we have a question, we can always contact one of the partners,’ says Bonnin. Andonovic agrees, but also comments: ‘Up till now, we’ve concentrated a lot on our own research, the creation of a minimum viable product and on installing the system on three different farms in the UK. We do discuss things within the trial, but day to day work tends to get in the way sometimes.’

IThe accuracy with which both applications predict an emerging issue before they become visually apparent is striking. So, does the farmer of the future still need to know anything at all about cow health? Bonnin: ‘Of course! The responsibility for the cows and the farm always stays with the farmer. The farmer takes the action, that doesn’t change. You should think of IDA as an assistant or an apprentice. Based on data and patterns that IDA understands to be normal for a specific cow, group or herd, the application offers the farmer an explanation of a possible cause, as well as a recommendation for alleviating the issue. In order for the application to learn and become quicker, it is important that the farmer validates and interacts with IDA. The farmer’s input helps the system to improve over time, just like a real-life assistant would.’

The minimum viable product is installed at three test farms in the Netherlands, Belgium

and Germany.

The minimum viable product is installed at three test farms in the UK.