Kitron Development AS is now developing a bell that monitors animals as they graze. The system was presented as part of the "Sheep Festival" at Ål in Hallingdal last year. The system uses GPS satellite navigation and VHF radio. Via mobile phone, the farmer warns the base station of any unusual conditions in the grazing area.
One advantage of the new system is that farmers can keep track of their animals even when their pasture area is large. Unusual conditions such as illness, accidents or the presence of predators, as well as information about animals grazing in dangerous areas, can all be recognized quickly. Another great advantage is that the animals can easily be located at the end of the grazing season.
Here's how it works:
With the help of GPS satellite navigation and VHF radio, the animals' positions are transmitted to a base station and their locations are registered with an accuracy of a couple of meters. The base station also has GPS which corrects for discrepancies and can pinpoint the animals' location even better. The base station can then warn the animals' owner or owners' association via GSM mobile telephone about the need for attention.