Virtual farm technology can transform dairy industry: What is it?
What's the story
Researchers at Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) have developed an innovative virtual farm technology, called Farm-twin. The free-to-download code allows farmers to create a model of their entire farm system, from individual animals to infrastructure. The system uses real-time data sensors and provides an "at-a-glance view" of the whole operation, helping detect health issues or productivity drops before they escalate.
Proactive approach
Digital Dairy Chain scheme
The Farm-twin project is part of the larger Digital Dairy Chain scheme, which explores the use of Digital Twin technology. This tech creates a virtual model of a physical system, updated in real-time with data from sensors. According to SRUC data scientist Dr. Mazdak Salavati, "The real power of farm data lies in combining different sources to uncover insights that a single system alone can't provide."
Data integration
Open-source system
Farm-twin tackles the challenge of data integration by bringing together information from various technologies into a single platform. It pulls near real-time data from different sources, including animal health records, milk production, feed intake, and environmental conditions. The system is completely open-source, allowing anyone to download, use, modify and distribute the code freely.
Innovation boost
Potential impact on dairy industry
SRUC agri-tech scientist Dr. Matt Broadbent believes that the open-source nature of Farm-twin "ensures transparency, fosters innovation, and lowers the barriers for adoption across the industry." Wayne Powell, CEO of SRUC, said this system could lead to a "more productive, resilient, and sustainable future" for dairy farming. The potential impact of Farm-twin on the dairy industry is significant as it paves way for more informed decision-making and improved farm management practices.