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| Virtual fences to herd Wi-Fi cattle |
| 2004-06-08 |
| Nothing to do with the WOT, but it does have the other three RB staples - animals, technology and general weirdness. Virtual, moving fences controlled from a laptop could one day herd cattle to fresh fields for grazing, a roboticist told the MobiSys 2004 conference in Boston, Massachusetts, on Sunday. A farmer would control multiple herds from a single server at home as if he were playing a video game, said Zack Butler, of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. Although static virtual fences already keep dogs inside yards in affluent US neighbourhoods, no-one has attempted a moving virtual fence before, nor attempted to apply the idea to large herds of animals. "Basically we download the fences to the cows," says Butler. "We say: ’Today stay here, tomorrow go somewhere else." Butler and his colleagues have written software that transmits the chosen GPS co-ordinates of a virtual fence to head-collars worn by the cows in the field. When a cow strays towards these co-ordinates, software running on the collar triggers a stimulus chosen to scare the cow away, such as a sound or a small electric shock - this is the "virtual" fence. The software also "herds" the cows when the position of the virtual fence is moved. Each collar is equipped with a Wi-Fi networking card, a Zaurus PDA, an eTrex GPS unit and a loudspeaker, all of which are off-the-shelf components. The server and the collars communicate using the 802.11B Wi-Fi standard, using a Wi-Fi base station in the field. Butler points out that some watering holes are already equipped with electrical pumps powered by solar generators. These could be converted into solar-powered Wi-Fi base stations, he says. Furthermore, cattle visit watering holes regularly, meaning the latest GPS data could be downloaded even if some parts of the pasture were out of Wi-Fi range. The group has tested a static version of the virtual fence on 10 cows in a field in Vermont that was one square kilometre in size. They have only tested the moving version on a group of students. "We have done this on a few research animals but it is not quite ready for prime-time," explains Butler. The technology appears to be working, but stimulus is not deterring the animal. The warning currently being used is one of a library of sounds intended to scare a cow, including roaring tigers, barking dogs and hissing snakes. The group’s tests showed that while these sounds slow the cattle down - they receive the signal - they do not always stop them crossing the virtual fence. However, Butler notes that the US Department of Agriculture has shown that cows respond much better to a combination of sounds and electric shocks which increase in intensity the closer the animal gets to a virtual fence. He believes the system would be especially attractive to farmers in Australia who must move cattle across ranches that range up to 22,000 square kilometres - roughly the size of Massachusetts. Currently farmers herd the cattle on horseback, motorcycles or even in helicopters, and have to open and close gates frequently, all requiring many workers and considerable time. In future, the collar could even be equipped with additional sensors, he says, perhaps to monitor the cows’ health and radio data back to the central server. |
| Posted by:Phil B |
| #20 M4D - Well as a throwback who indulges in meat, I also feed all four of the "residents", 2 dogs, and 2 cats, beef, chichen, and fish. But you are right. Cats don't like veggies, but my German Shepherd likes to crunch on raw carrots. (Of course she prefers medium rare sirloin.) So how did this thread go from virtual cattle fencing to this? Ha! |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-06-08 5:38:56 PM |
| #19 you be surprised at this but actualy im not own any pets. against apartment rules. dogs are can have a somewhat vegan diet but cats are die if eat vegatable matter. halfempty is curently lose him pet california king snake and me and him trying find progresive values snake that adopt vegan diet. we are not have any luck so far. it looking like snake are not as progresive in they ideoligies as iguanas and tortoises. |
| Posted by: muck4doo 2004-06-08 4:50:11 PM |
| #18 Mucky, its important to spay/neuter, that is true. But what do you, as a vegetarian, feed your dogs/cats? |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-06-08 4:29:25 PM |
| #17 save shiva! mojo that why spade and neuter of pets so important. |
| Posted by: muck4doo 2004-06-08 4:19:22 PM |
| #16 Bruce Friedrich, Chairman of the Politboro of PETA calls for violence. Apparently applies to animals who eat meat as well (dogs). Talk Show Host Dennis Prager's favorite question: If a human or your dog was drowning, who would you save. He only lets you say, "the animal", if the person drowning is a Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Saddahm, etc. I'd Add Brucie. WHO WOULD YOU SAVE?  (images.google.com)Bruce Frederich OR SHIVA the BOXER-DOG  (inet.hr/~jaschenb)Easy Choice |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-06-08 4:05:28 PM |
| #15 Yeah, mucky, PETA cares so much that they executed 3500 homeless dogs last year. But it made 'em feel bad to do it, don't ya know... And that's what REALLY matters. |
| Posted by: mojo 2004-06-08 2:49:08 PM |
| #14 im knowing you guys is think this in funy but is not. i kmow you guys are kill cows anyways but why arent they can be treat humanely? electric shock not humane! also what are happen dogz now like spot is say? also what about unemploy cowboys? not much job out there under chainey that are value lasso skills as requirement. this bad idea all around. as far as peta go at least they are care and not like politician go sacrafice care to owl god in bohemian grove! |
| Posted by: muck4doo 2004-06-08 2:07:37 PM |
| #13 The video game stores have Dogz and Catz. . .
Soon. . Cowz |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-06-08 1:34:04 PM |
| #12 Touche, #2 |
| Posted by: Oge_Retla_2004 2004-06-08 1:31:58 PM |
| #11 .com - they're oppressed I tell ya! Pets are slaves! Up is down! Black is white! Get that dog off my leg! F*ck PETA - fortunately I work in Chicago and can go to the Billy Goat and have a cheezborga for lunch |
| Posted by: Spot 2004-06-08 11:17:00 AM |
| #10 Spot - Will that make PETA happy - or piss 'em off? Are these dogs "oppressed" because they are working dogs? Gosh, my PETA knowledge fount is dry! One thing I do, know is that those dogs go absolutely apeshit if they don't have something to herd. PETA'd prolly hire a doggie shrink and demand meds for 'em. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-06-08 9:15:02 AM |
| #9 Oh, those poor, poor border collies with nothing to do |
| Posted by: Spot 2004-06-08 9:08:25 AM |
| #8 Grunter: Neil Young Website |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-06-08 8:18:07 AM |
| #7 Yea,whistle-whistle,capclap.(Mike gets a standing ovation. |
| Posted by: Raptor 2004-06-08 7:46:05 AM |
| #6 The group has tested a static version of the virtual fence on 10 cows in a field in Vermont that was one square kilometre in size. They have only tested the moving version on a group of students. "We have done this on a few research animals but it is not quite ready for prime-time," explains Butler. The technology appears to be working, but stimulus is not deterring the animal. Somehow, for some party schools, this paragraph is strangely appropriate. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2004-06-08 7:41:53 AM |
| #5 Very funny, Mike. |
| Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2004-06-08 7:06:26 AM |
| #4 Mike - Bravo! Great job - Lol! |
| Posted by: .com 2004-06-08 6:54:53 AM |
| #3 Anybody got the lyrics to Neil Young's "Computer Cowboy"? |
| Posted by: Grunter 2004-06-08 6:31:38 AM |
| #2 Keep movin', movin', movin', Though they're disapprovin', Keep them doggies movin' Wi-Fi! Don't try to understand 'em, Just point and click and brand 'em, My laptop is nineteen inches wide. C-P-U calculatin' Cell modem is handshakin', From the front seat of my S-U-V ride. Move 'em on, link 'em up, Link 'em up, go remote, Go remote, head 'em out Wi-Fi! Load 'em up, load 'em down, F-T-P, zip 'em up, Zip- 'em up, ride 'em in Wi-Fi! See y'all later, I gots to download the back forty . . . |
| Posted by: Mike 2004-06-08 6:15:07 AM |
| #1 So could the Saudis use this tech somehow to improve Nayef's Boyz record in "surrounding" jihadis? And, back to the cows, uh, what if enough of 'em get zapped at about the same time and they stampede toward the center? BBQ time? Mucky's really gonna be pissed. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-06-08 4:26:49 AM |
(Amazon.com)