In case you missed it … An autonomous pasture mower & lessons for cow tech from COVID's early warning system failures
Here are the headlines and snippets about cow tech posted on the web in the past week that you might be interested in. I've also included articles that aren't specifically cow tech related but that I think have something to teach about how cow tech should be applied.
Is Lely going to launch an autonomous mower at their Future Farm Days? The trailer for the Oct. 6th event includes some foreshadowing that it will. There are images of the bumper of a low-profile vehicle moving through a freshly cut field of grass. The video also includes lots of camera images shot from grass level, and even images of fresh grass that has been top-dressed onto TMR. Also, all of the people in the video seem to be watching something in awe.
At least one other news outlet is reporting that a robotic mower will be announced.
Watch the trailer for yourself below.
An article in the Wall Street Journal illustrates how all technology, and machine learning in particular, is only as useful as the quality AND timing of the data being entered. This article [subscription required] tells how China had built an early warning system to report new respiratory viruses such as COVID-19. However, the data from early cases that emerged in China weren’t entered into the system for 30 days. The article quotes studies that show if control measures had begun three weeks earlier there would have been 95 percent fewer cases in China.
The lesson, I think, for cow technology is that to the degree that algorithms and machine learning require human input or confirmation of computer-generated predictions, timeliness is of the essence. Remember, it's not the tech's fault if it isn't provided.
Cainthus may start another round of investment funding in September. Money raised would be used to expand the company’s technology beyond just dairy cows to other livestock species and to “establish extra applications.” Read more here.
A California dairyman recently interviewed about technology for cows believes that farmers should “figure out how to use” the technology they already have to optimize their farms. Tony Lopes told California Ag Today that “the best way to improve a dairy operation is not by adding more technology but by more fully utilizing the technology” one already has.
Read more here.
This interesting article about CRISPR technology for use in cattle had a fantastic quote:
"Sometimes being very optimistic about your technology and enthusiastic about it causes you to have blinders on when it comes to risk assessment."
Cow tech entrepreneurs take note.
Finally, Milk Movement, the Canadian start up with technology to manage a raw milk supply chain, announced it is opening up a U.S. home base in Minneapolis this fall.
Thanks for reading. Have a great weekend!