Computer vision for farm management and welfare monitoring of grazing cattle

Livestock production, particularly dairy farming, is significant in Europe's agricultural sector. Grazing land, despite its known benefits for cattle welfare, is declining in use. Animal welfare, guided by the five freedoms principle, is crucial, and studies show that pasture-based systems can improve welfare indicators such as lameness and mastitis. However, challenges like weather extremes and parasite infections exist. Precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies offer solutions, with sensors and computer vision aiding in monitoring. The XGain project, aims to enhance the sustainability of remote farming through innovative technology adoption, including vision-based monitoring for grazing livestock.

This work has been developed in the context of the XGain project (101060294). XGain fosters a sustainable, balanced, and inclusive development of rural, coastal and urban areas by facilitating access to relevant stakeholders to a comprehensive inventory of smart XG, last-mile connectivity and edge computing solutions, and of related assessment methods. Learn more at xgain-project.eu.