Fitbit for cows: helping dairy farms get into shape

Image Source: Cowlar

E4 Technologies, based in Islamabad, recently introduced a collar fitted tracking device for cows called the Cowlar - tracking devices that will enable farmers with limited resources to increase productivity to levels they could only have dreamed of in the past - which they hope will improve the Pakistani dairy sector’s dismal per cow yield of four to five liters of milk per day.

According to TechInAsia, E4 Technologies hopes to increase milk yields by up to 15% with their affordable, easy-to-use tracking device. TechInAsia reports the Cowlar constantly monitors the temperature and behaviour of animals through motion-sensing trackers that scrutinize cows’ eating, sleeping, mating and other significant activities. The data is then fed back into an algorithm at a solar-powered base within a 4km range, which determines things like the health of the cow, its predicted heat cycle and any irregularities in behaviour.

I believe the Cowlar’s biggest draw card is the fact that it’s designed for farmers who do not necessarily have or want access to computers or the internet. Part of the Cowlar package includes an integrated, solar powered system that analyses all the data automatically and sends farmers SMSes with recommendations to manage their cows. More tech-savvy clients can have access to an online dashboard, enabling them to send message alerts to workers and see whether any follow-up action was taken.

Although it’s still under development, E4 Technologies was said to have sold around 1,000 devices around the beginning of April 2016. It costs around US$69 per device (R985 at the time of writing).