I4 creates health monitor for cows

The wireless health monitor is a capsule that is inserted into the cow’s mouth and sits in the first compartment of the animal’s stomach. From there it monitors pH levels and temperature every 15 minutes and stores the data, which can be read by a wireless device up to 2m away.

The device, which will be put into production at the end of the year, aims to detect digestive and dietary issues and so improve the efficiency of milk production.

I4 began working on the project in November 2009, after it was approached by Well Cow. The consultancy was briefed to create packaging for the sensor that could allow fluids into the device to be monitored without damaging any of the parts, says I4 mechanical design engineer Graham Menzies.

Well Cow director Malcolm Bateman says, ‘We chose i4 Product Design to help redesign the [monitor] because we’d heard of its extensive experience in creating devices to be used in harsh environments.’