Semtech’s LoRa technology is being used by Quantified Ag, whose devices are implemented in feedlots in the U.S. and Australia
Semtech said that Quantified Ag, a company specializing in internet of things-based cattle tracking and cattle health solutions, has implemented Semtech’s LoRa devices and wireless radio frequency technology into its smart cattle tags for advanced health monitoring.
Quantified Ag’s devices are implemented in feedlots in the U.S. and Australia.
“Semtech’s LoRa technology allows us to respond much faster to cattle disease than conventional techniques,” said Vishal Singh, CEO of Quantified Ag. “Communications throughout the day from an individual animal’s smart ear tag minimize the delay from when the animal contracts an illness to when it starts showing symptoms, which improves a cattle producer’s business model and increases productivity. We’ve seen significant results in increased inefficiency.”
Quantified Ag’s LoRa-based hardware collects data continuously allowing feedlot workers to detect and respond to anomalies in a cow’s behaviour. Each sensor measures body temperature and activity, and the data is sent to the cloud for analysis in real-time or stored for trend reports. Applications scan the data for outliers such as a cow showing reduced mobility or elevated body temperature, which could be signs of disease. Feedlot workers are then notified of the anomaly and can act quickly to prevent disease from worsening or spreading.
Semtech’s LoRa devices and wireless radio frequency technology is a long-range, low-power solution for IoT that gives telecom companies, IoT application makers and system integrators the feature set necessary to deploy low-cost, interoperable IoT networks, gateways, sensors, module products, and IoT services.
Farmers in Colorado use Sigfox-enabled IoT solutions to track weather
In related news, a group of farmers in Colorado are testing Sigfox-enabled IoT solutions to monitor the weather.
The Rocky Mountain Farmers Union worked with Smart Yields, a Hawaii-based tech company, to install sensor technology on 16 farms across the state. It allows users to monitor and get alerts about conditions on their farm and farms in neighbouring areas.
“In Orchard Mesa and Palisade, the conventional wisdom is the coldest farms are further west,” said Harrison Topp, membership director for Rocky Mountain Farmers Union and owner of Topp Fruits. “The farms closer to the canyon can see the cold weather moving towards you.” It can also give farmers a better look at the idiosyncrasies of their land. “What I’ve learned is that in terms of what the temperature difference is huge,” Topp said. “That’s been a huge advantage in determining where we are going to plant future crops.”
Some members of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union are looking to expand the technology to other farms. They are also looking to see how these sensors can be put to use elsewhere: such as for tracking moisture in the soil and humidity to help control pests.
“This past year was a pilot study to see how it worked, so I’m excited to see in the future working with them and how to best improve the product,” Topp said.
