For any productive person, maintaining control of livestock can be a challenge. In new research, the team has developed sensors, similar to a “smartwatch,” that are placed around the ankles and necks of cows and whose batteries are charged with energy from their movements.
Some sensors are already in use to help track the locations of livestock. But now, scientists at Jiaotong University in China have explored the idea of a “smart farm”, where advanced sensors monitor the environment and the animals themselves, It is largely powered by kinetic energy🇧🇷
said Zutao Zhang, one of the authors of the study, which was recently published in iScience🇧🇷
“This information can include oxygen concentration, air temperature and humidity, amount of exercise, reproductive cycles, diseases and milk production,” the researcher continued.
On these smart farms, cows wore a scalloped shell in the shape of a smartwatch. The shell will move in sync with the animals’ bodies, while the shell moves The device will convert kinetic energy into electrical energywhich will be stored in the onboard lithium battery.
“There is an enormous amount of kinetic energy that can be harvested from the daily movements of cattle,” said Yajia Ban, one of the study’s authors, citing Yajia Ban. New Atlas🇧🇷
The team tested the device in the lab, where they simulated the movements of livestock and demonstrated that it generated enough power for the tiny sensors. They also tested the device on humans and found that just a light jog was enough to trigger the temperature-measuring function.
“The Kinetic energy is ubiquitous in the environment – Leaves swaying in the wind, the movement of humans and animals, the rippling of waves, the rotation of the earth – all these phenomena contain a lot of kinetic energy, Zhang said, adding: “We must not waste this energy.”
“Friendly zombie fanatic. Analyst. Coffee buff. Professional music specialist. Communicator.”