Bringing farmers and cows together: Designing a solution to locate specific cows in real-time

My graduation project focuses on designing a localization solution for dairy farmers to locate specific cows. The project partner, Agis CowManager, has developed an ear sensor for cows that monitors their health and alerts farmers to cows needing medical attention. However, locating a specific cow can be very challenging, especially on farms with thousands of cows.

To address this issue, I am developing a cow localization solution from two perspectives: a data-driven technological aspect to create a novel localization method, and a user-oriented aspect to ensure the solution meets farmers’ needs effectively. My goal is to design a data-driven localization solution tailored to farmers’ requirements rather than just the technology, tapping into a significant opportunity within the dairy farming automation industry.

My motivation for this project is to create a farm environment that moves away from the factory-like approach and focuses on providing the best care for each cow. The challenge lies in conveying this vision to farm workers, who prioritize efficiency. By designing an efficient and intuitive localization solution, we can ensure the best care for the cows while maintaining high productivity on the farm.

Hi! I am Ashraf, an Integrated Product Design Master’s student. I have always been passionate about connecting data to users in a meaningful way. Over the past few years, this interest has grown, and I have spent a lot of time tinkering with it in my personal life. As an IPD designer, I believe it is our responsibility to integrate new technologies into people’s lives, ensuring that they not only work effectively but also meet the user’s needs and preferences.