Nikon Develops Camera System With Artificial Intelligence, Able To Detect Cows That Will Give Birth

Illustration of cows. (Wikimedia Commons/Richard Bartz/Munich Macromen)

JAKARTA - Japanese company Nikon Corp. developed a camera system that uses artificial intelligence (AI), to notify breeders that cows are giving birth, analyzing their movements with cameras mounted on farms.

According to Nikon, pregnant cows show distinctive signs about five hours before giving birth, such as increased movement and starting to release a pedet bag.

Nikon official Kazuhiro Hirano said in a press conference in December, "We would also like to be able to detect when the cows are trying and other patterns of behavior," Kyodo News reported February 1.

This AI technology trial has been collected since fall of 2021, with experiments proving concepts carried out on four farms in Kumamoto Prefecture since February 2023.

Keita Higuchi, a farmer in his 30s who participated in the experiment, said she was satisfied with the use of the system.

"We give birth to about 60 calfs per year, and we have to check the mother every few hours for about a month before giving birth. This system is very helpful," explained Higuchi.

Starting to sell in Japan last month, the system aims to ease the work of farmers, especially to carry out routine checks on pregnant cows in the weeks leading up to childbirth, helping to increase efficiency.

The system is estimated to cost around 900,000 yen (Rp95,420,928) per year for a farm with 100 cows. The special smartphone application is used to remind farmers when the time of childbirth has arrived.