Yes, we have a new contender for greatest Aussie invention ever – the CSIRO has teamed up with agtech startup, Ceres Tag, to develop a wearable for wandering livestock.
Sounds bizarre right? But the smart ear tags should come in handy for our farmers.
A GPS allows lost animals to be tracked down, while an on-board accelerometer that detects any strange movements – indicating that they might be sick, giving birth or have been stolen – and sends an alert to the farmer.
It’s not the first time the CSIRO has developed a wearable for our bovine friends though.
In 2014, they announced they’d created a hi-tech collar for cows to figure out when they were in the ‘mood’ – a ‘Tinder’ for cows as they called it – but this new technology is a step up.
So far, only 100 cattle on the CSIRO’s research station in Queensland have been fitted with the tags, but the scientists are hopeful it could be rolled out nationwide.
We’re sure the cows will find them less annoying than being told they haven’t done enough steps today too.
