New hi-tech app helps dairy farmers care for calves

As part of a major four year research project funded by the Department of the Environment, Agriculture and Rural Affairs (DAERA), AFBI led the development of a cutting edge immersive technology with a Belfast-based tech company called Sentireal.

Named Optihouse, the project involved a team of researchers, academic, industry experts and virtual reality software developers from Sentireal.

The new app allows farmers to step inside a 3D online calf house and see the features that are essential for the healthy rearing of calves.

The free app has built-in features which allow the farmers to tweak their existing sheds or create a new one from scratch.

The aim is to minimise risks to calves from inadequate housing identified by the researchers who set out to discover why there is an average mortality rate of 6% in UK dairy calves and up to 40% suffer from pneumonia.

Calves suffering ill health in early life can struggle with delayed growth, leading to delays in breeding, calving age and a depressed level of milk production.

Simple things like good ventilation, keeping the young calves warm and dry and always ensuring high levels of hygiene were among the key findings of the team who visited 66 farms across Northern Ireland during their research.

Senior research scientist Gillian Scoley, manager of the project, explains: “It is the first time we have used this type of technology allowing tech and agriculture to come together.

“With the help of Sentireal, the CAFRE dairy advisory team and industry experts we developed an app which allows the farmer to step into a virtual calf house where they can see how housing design choices affect the rearing environment for young animals.

“Our research looked at things like how temperature and humidity can impact calves.

“Where calves are in a cold or damp environment, they are more vulnerable to disease risk which can impact how they grow and develop.

“While most farmers are aware that calves need to be kept warm there has never been a real understanding of what the environmental conditions are in Northern Irish calf houses. Obtaining this information has been key to seeing what improvements can be made to housing facilities for calves to thrive.”

Commenting on the new app which all farmers will have access to, she adds: “It is a realistic and easy-to-use tool which offers farmers two options - to build their own calf house or go in and look at those modelled from real farms which they can tour with 360 degree movement and compare to their own.

“There are educational tools to help with the design of a new calf house if that’s what farmers want to do.”

The app is the latest in a range of sophisticated hi-tech training experiences delivered by Belfast-based Sentireal who specialise in the creation of immersive technology, including as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR).

The firm has grown rapidly since its inception in 2013 and is considered one of the leading providers of bespoke immersive technology in the UK.

CEO Tom Houston said: “We were delighted to work with the research team at AFBI to bring their vision to life.

“The calf house experience is completely immersive and in 3D and we hope that it helps in the education of farmers and the health of their young calves.”

Optihouse involved a team of researchers from AFBI Hillsborough, Queen’s University Belfast, the CAFRE dairy advisory team and a group of international veterinary, academic and industry experts.

To see it for yourself go to https://afbi.sentireal.co.uk