Construction of a cow model as a proxy for electronic sensor tests
By Jens Harbers
In modern livestock farming, electronics attached to an animal play a significant role. In this field of science, animals are equipped with electronics to measure a wide range of parameters. In the case of cattle, the electronics are attached to collars and mounted around the animal's neck. On the one hand, this is dangerous, as cattle can severely injure or even kill a person with their head, and on the other hand, the collars have to be configured and readjusted. The animal has to be continuously restrained and is therefore exposed to stress.
This procedure has the disadvantage that it requires an animal testing permit under the German Animal Welfare Act. Getting such approval is time-consuming and, depending on the purpose, not ethically justifiable. In addition, a sketch of the planned system, including attachment to the animal, is required for approval of the experiment.
The idea is to build a simple animal model that has the appropriate neck circumference and shape, is sufficient for initial electronic tests, and is also easy to assemble. The attached image shows a construction proposal that consists of a few parts and is financially affordable (100€).
Attachment: microcow_img.PNG (1.96 MB)
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