Dairy Animal Detection and Environmental Control

Dairy cattle require a temperature-humidity index range of 72-74 to maximize milk production. The Rovey Dairy in Glendale, Arizona, achieves the required range through a series of cooling mechanisms: a misting system, fans and shaded areas. During the hottest months, utility costs spike as a result of their binary system, in which components are either all on or all off. The system designed uses a series of cameras and sensors in conjunction with a misting line to divide the dairy into sections where it detects cow presence and sections with ambient temperature. Software analyzes the footage to determine cow presence while sensors measure the environmental conditions in specific areas. If the temperature or humidity is too high, the fans and misters are activated. Water and energy resources are used optimally to cool only the occupied areas. To monitor potential harmful pollutant levels, the system also detects methane, carbon monoxide, isobutane, ethanol and hydrogen. All data is recorded and can be accessed via an online database. Updates are posted to allow the operator continual access and retrieval.