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Mobile monitoring helps deliver better hams
A Spanish farmer has some closely-monitored pigs that a lot of people are finding attractive and innovative. The reason is that GPS and GPRS technology is being used to supply data about the pigs to the farmer, which he expects will improve his work and the quality of the cured hams the pigs are destined to become.
April 5, 2006
Observing the pigs remotely is a joint project of Spanish developer Amplía Soluciones, operator Amena and the University of Extremadura. The purpose is to help farmers study the grazing patterns, behavior and biometrics of livestock, specifically during the period known as “montanera” – four months when the pigs roam freely, feeding and fattening on acorns.
Amena initiated the project to explore possibilities within the machine-to-machine (M2M) market and is using OpenGate, an M2M communications platform. GMV Sistemas was also involved in designing the M2M devices for the pigs to wear. Amplía, a wireless solutions specialist, developed OpenGate and the platform allows control of communication between the animals and the companies that use the data.
Using GPS as the communication channel, with OpenGate as the wireless communications platform, leads to three benefits: The guarantee that the information will be received in the correct way without losing any data, secondly that a lot of information can be sent simultaneously and thirdly secure transmission of data, so no fraudulent use can occur.
In its test run, about 40 pigs have been fitted with transmitters. The transmitters weigh approximately 200g and emit a GPS signal. The signal is sent via radio to Amena’s GPRS network. The information is periodically collected and stored in a database on Amplía’s OpenGate server, which is hosted by Amena. Another party, Montejava, has developed a web portal that allows the farmer to access the information over the internet, saving him a walk in the field and helping him to plan the montanera and optimize the use of the meadow. This, in turn, will help to achieve high-quality Iberian cured ham.
Pig brother is watching
The data being collected from the pigs includes whether they are moving or resting, the number of kilometers walked, their favorite places for grazing, their exact position at every moment, the amount of daylight in their environment, and even their heart and respiratory rates. Keeping an eye on the pigs’ behavior can help ensure a good balance of muscle and fat, which results in better quality ham.
The project has received a lot of attention from media and market players. Rafael Morillo Molinuevo, Business Development manager at Amplía, says the application has other uses, too. “It could be employed in other farming situations where an animal’s quality and value is related to its comfort. But the technology can also be applied to any situation where measurement of movement is required.” Another practical application could be in the human health sector, monitoring outpatients, or sick or elderly people who do not need hospitalization.
Morillo says Ericsson Mobility World’s support has been a great boost in marketing OpenGate. "It means a lot to us that Ericsson Mobility World is interested in our product. And Jose Miguel Alonso, Ericsson Mobility World Center manager for Spain, helped give us a clear picture on how to release OpenGate in other markets."
The pilot phase of the pig project will end in March 2006, after which the results will be studied. Morillo says he hopes to have a commercial release of the application as early as June 2006, to enable interested farmers to begin preparing for the next montanera season.
