ACM TechNews

Ant Antics to Help Piggery Communications

FarmingUK (01/08/08)

Farmex in Reading is conducting research into wireless communication methods that could be used to improve the performance of systems that are used to monitor pigs. Computer systems specialist David Dobson will lead the two-year project to come up with a better way to establish reliable links for farming in difficult environments. Dobson plans to create a self-healing mesh system that will function in all atmospheric conditions. "Wireless connection will make the monitoring of crucial performance indicators, such as feed and water consumption, cheaper and easier," says Farmex's Hugh Crabtree. "With ever-tightening margins in pig production this will become increasingly important." The U.K. government is contributing nearly 70 percent of the funding of the project, and the technology also could be used to monitor potatoes, grain stores, or lagoons.

http://www.farminguk.com/index.asp?show=newsArticle&id=5019&country=

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