The document describes CowLab, a research environment that utilizes sensors and technology to collect data on dairy cow behavior, health, physiology and production. CowLab allows comprehensive testing of innovations to improve animal welfare and productivity. Sensors can monitor activities like rumination, movement, location, resting, feeding and milking. This large dataset is transferred to a cloud service for analysis and mining to provide new insights. The goal is to use this technology to develop applications and products that can detect illness early and improve dairy cow welfare and production efficiency.

1. Developing and testing sensors and technology to
improve animal welfare
CowLabTM

2. For animal
welfare
A lot of research and great innovations and
implementations has been made to improve
animal welfare and productivity. But there is
still a lot to do.
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3. Quantify, quantify, quantify…
• As a trend people are quantifying themselves to make
right choices and to have a positive effect to their health
• Technology ment for humans can also be used to
increase animal welfare and productivity
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4. Sensor tehnology creates a
possibility for early detection of
developing illness or abnormal
behaviour which saves from a lot
of trouble and money.

5. But…
Why a cow would be
interesting?
Why cow?
Why lab?
Why CowLab?
And what is CowLab?

6. CowLabTM
• The unique research environment that utilizes
• latest technology in milk production
• A place to develop diagnostics and IT applications for livestock
production by collecting and mining data on behavior, health,
physiology and production

7. • CowLabTM provides a solution for
comprehensive testing of new ideas
and innovations in dairy cattle.
• For example, animal activity,
rumination, movements and location
in the barn, resting and standing
times, heat, feeding behavior and
milking parameters can be
measured and monitored with
validated equipment.
CowLabTM – Your innovation can be measured
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8. Biohacking cows
• Combination of technologies inside the
experimental farm and the CowLabTM
cloud service form together a powerful
tool like no other
• CowLabTM is a place to biohack
cows and develop products,
devices or applications to monitor
changes in behavior, health, and
productivity
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9. Reliable, easy, cost-efficient
• All the measurements can be done fast, automatically, cost
efficiently and without disturbing the animals.
• Automation also provides the possibility to measure more
than one feature simultaneously and therefore can provide a
comprehensive set of data.
• Data is recorded and transferred to a cloud service where it
can be easily accessed. This data can be mined to bring new
insight or perspective to things that you thought were
unnecessary.
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10. Latest technology in use
• Wireless rumination, activity, heat monitoring and
portable progesterone tester
• Extensive measurements of individual cows
parameters
• Location, feeding, activity, health parameters, production
• Barn environment monitoring
• Temperature, moisture, lighting, gases
• Large databanks for data mining
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11. Research barn, fact sheet
• Space for 120 dairy cows, loose housing system
• Milking parlor for 2 × 8 cows, herring bone
• Additional equipment for research purposes:
• Individual feed intake can be measured at the feeding
stations as well as through forage/TMR weighing
troughs
• Possibility to feed different forages and concentrates as
well combination of those at the same time
• 12 tied-up housing places for more individual studies
• The cows have access to pasture via an electronic gate
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