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Smile, you are filmed!
And your behavior is analyzed using an artificial intelligence system... While humans may be offended by this, those concerned have no say since they are cows.
In 2020, a Nantes start-up launched a video surveillance system in barns to observe the behavior of animals.
Ultimately
, the objective is to improve their well-being as well as that of the breeder, and to increase productivity.
The device seems to be attractive since AIHerd finalized a fundraising of 2.1 million euros at the end of January.
“
Two-thirds will be dedicated to marketing and one-third to technical development
,” explains Quentin Garnier, one of the three co-founders of this company with 12 employees whose workforce is set to grow.
Read alsoWho is Otter, the representative of the Nantes cow at the Agricultural Show?
Tested in about twenty pilot farms, in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, the concept imagined by the creators is as follows: insert cameras on the ceilings of the barns.
Thanks to this video surveillance system linked to artificial intelligence, the breeder receives alerts on the behavior of his dairy cows.
The machine monitors them for him.
Like QR codes, ruminants are identified by their spots.
“
Marguerite must be cared for
” could thus be displayed on the farmer's telephone screen, in exchange for two euros per animal and per month.
Cost savings and productivity gains
According to the former veterinarian, this innovation would save "
between 200 and 500 euros per year and per animal
", or up to 50,000 euros per year for a herd of one hundred, in particular thanks to the identification of diseases for example.
“
The cameras know what the cow is doing all the time... This information makes it possible to detect pathologies
”: a suffering animal behaves differently.
With this digitization, the company promises productivity gains thanks to better herd management but also more animal welfare thanks to better care.
Farmers wishing to take vacation days could also see an advantage.
This will facilitate the training of their replacements.
Read alsoWhen technology takes care of animals
"
AI
" as "
Artificial intelligence
";
“
Herd
” for herd.
The contraction of these two English terms clearly reflects the international ambitions of AIHerd.
For the moment, it plans to make a place for itself among its competitors.
She plans to replace the connected collars that already exist and indicate when a cow should be inseminated.
Gradually, the start-up would like to sell its system to the 60,000 farms in France and Benelux.
It also plans to develop internationally, relying on the “
homogeneity of production methods in the Western world
”.
Before, why not, to extend the method to other animals.
