According to Kyodo, Nikon has entered an unanticipated field by fusing its photography and artificial intelligence skills to develop a system that alerts farmers when a cow is about to give birth.
By streamlining the monitoring procedure for expectant cows, the invention seeks to increase productivity during peak lactation seasons.
For farms with about 100 cows, the system costs 900,000 yen a year and consists of an AI system integrated with a security-style camera. When a calf is due, the device, which is connected to a specific smartphone app, sends out a warning, enabling farmers to take appropriate action in a timely manner.
Nikon launched proof-of-concept studies on four farms in southwestern Japan in February 2023 after starting AI training in the fall of 2021.
The AI system can identify symptoms that pregnant cows have around five hours prior to giving birth, including greater mobility and the beginning of the calf’s amniotic sac opening.
Nikon’s Kazuhiro Hirano stated that the business wants to increase the system’s capacity to identify other behavioral patterns and when a female cow is in season.
Keita Higuchi, a livestock owner who took part in the trials, stated that the technique worked really well. Higuchi stated: “We deliver about 60 calves per year, and this system has been a great help, eliminating the need for frequent checks on the mothers leading up to delivery.”
Although Nikon is best known for its consumer cameras, this agricultural technology initiative demonstrates the company’s wide range of AI and imaging applications.
