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Pushing boundaries with new innovations in cow monitoring
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Ireland’s most reliable cow monitoring system is breaking new ground – both at home and abroad.
In advance of this year’s National Ploughing Championships, Censortec has unveiled several innovations, reinforcing its position as the forefront of dairy technology. These can be viewed on Stand 166.
Having recently expanded into New Zealand, the company continues to grow on Irish soil.
This growth has driven a rebrand of Censortec’s flagship product; the SmartTag, the collar known for reliable, accurate cow monitoring.
Censortec’s new collar is now white, but has the same cow monitoring intelligence, the same world-leading technology.
Explaining the move, Donagh Crowley, managing director of Censortec, said: ”As the company grows, and our partnership with Nedap continues to integrate, we all felt it was time for a new look.
“It coincides with launching Censortec in New Zealand, and launching two new products here in Ireland: SmartTag Ear; and SmartSight Lameness Monitoring. It’s a very exciting time for us.”
Censortec work closely with Nedap, the leading supplier of animal monitoring systems globally.
Having over 40 years of experience in developing, supporting, and marketing their SmartTag, there are now over seven million cows around the world wearing Nedap technology.
Censortec, based in Co. Kerry, has a dedicated team that supplies, installs, and supports their sensors throughout Ireland.
One of the most innovative new offerings is SmartSight Locomotion Monitoring, developed in conjunction with Censortec’s business partner, Nedap.
This artificial intelligence (AI)-powered system uses camera and vision technology to assess and monitor cows’ locomotion.
Lameness is one of the most costly and challenging issues in dairy farming. SmartSight tackles this by detecting early signs of lameness.
Mounted on an exit race or drafting gate, the SmartSight camera scans cows as they exit, and builds a picture of each cow’s locomotion.
If the system detects any change in locomotion, it generates an alert - delivered via the Nedap app or accessible from a farmer’s laptop.
Sean Crowley of Censortec explained: “We worked closely with Nedap and Alfco Engineering to develop SmartSight.
“In conjunction with our Irish trial farms, we used data from Irish cows to help develop the technology, and our team have helped its development.
"The launch of SmartSight Locomotion Monitoring signifies the beginning of a new era of AI-powered animal monitoring technology.”
Joe O’Grady, who farms in partnership with Tom Burgess in Co Wicklow, has been using the technology for two years as part of its development.
Joe said: “When we installed SmartSight, we were impressed by the fact that it picked up cows that we wouldn’t have classed as lame.
“You’d see them walking in the yard and think they’re ok, but when you go to lift their feet, we always found something, be it a stone or a scald or something else.
According to the farmer, those cases were "easy to treat and easy to solve".
"You can watch their recovery on the SmartSight app," Joe said.
"It’s creating better outcomes for us, because it’s saving labour, and better outcomes for the cows, because they’re treated earlier.”
Also new to the market is SmartTag Ear – a sensor that offers Censortec’s trusted monitoring technology in a compact ear tag.
After several years of trials on Irish farms, SmartTag Ear is now available to the broader market.
In the same way as SmartTag Neck, SmartTag Ear captures insights on reproduction, rumination, eating and inactive times.
It is removable and reusable, allowing it to be swapped between different animals, and can store up to 24 hours of data independently.
SmartTag Ear is built on a long-lasting, proven infrastructure used for other Nedap sensors to ensure the reliability of data transmission.
According to Cemsortec’s Padraig Kelly: “SmartTag Ear has a 98% retention rate in the ear on farms using it globally.
"It has a minimum of seven-year battery life as well, so it gives farmers another option when choosing the most suitable sensor for their system.”
With the launch of new products, a fresh rebrand, and international expansion well underway, Censortec continues to lead the way in smart farming solutions.
As the company grows, its focus remains firmly on helping improve life on the farm, for both cows and farmers.
To learn more about Censortec’s latest technologies, visit Stand 166 at this year’s National Ploughing Championships, where the team will be on hand to demonstrate SmartTag, SmartTag Ear, and SmartSight in action. Don’t miss the opportunity to see the future of cow monitoring up close.
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