Farm robot makes debut
Successful first trial for a cattle herding robot created by a team from the University of SydneyThe University of Sydney has lifted the covers off its latest project, the SwagBot, which is designed to manage livestock on vast Australian farmlands.
The robot, which has been named after old time Australian swagmen, is an all-terrain vehicle capable of navigating through rugged terrain, creeks, swamps and ditches.
It was recently trialled on a farm in Newcastle (NSW) and has successfully demonstrated its ability to operate in a rugged cattle station environment, according to the team responsible for its creation at the University of Sydney's Australian Centre for Field Robotics.
It is equipped with a camera to help farmers monitor their livestock at any given time without them having to wander out into tricky and dangerous terrain.
According to a report by New Scientist, the next phase of the project is to enable the robot to interact with animals and identify sick or injured ones out of the herd.
"The trial has been very successful so far, so it's given us the confidence to move to the next phase," says the SwagBot project team leader, Professor Salah Sukkarieh.
The team aims to equip the SwagBot with motion and temperature sensors to detect changes in the animals' body temperatures, as well as colour and shape sensors to ensure livestock has sufficient pasture for grazing.
If all goes to plan, the team says the SwagBot will be the first farm robot in the world capable of monitoring the health of livestock.
Tags
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.