The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman. Imagine this: you walk through the freestall during herd check and turn toward cow #134. To the naked eye, she seems normal. She’s laying down and looks comfortable. Suddenly, as if you had x-ray vision, you’re able to see that she hasn’t been eating and ruminating and needs treatment.

It’s not science fiction. It’s Nedap Livestock Management’s Augmented Reality. And it will be on display at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, from Oct. 1-5.

Augmented reality technology will allow you to use mixed-reality goggles to not only find your cow’s exact location in the barn, but you’ll also be able to immediately see relevant heat, health and fertility data seamlessly displayed in a virtual cow card in your field of vision above the right cow.

Bringing herd insights to life

Farmers need activity monitoring system (AMS) data translated into actionable insights to boost heat detection, conception rates, cow health, labor efficiency and farm management. Nedap Augmented Reality combines real-world and digital information in a seamless experience. It provides insights for farmers to make decisions that improve animal health and maximize return on investment. A Nedap AMS collects precise and complete data. Nedap Augmented Reality brings it to life.

Here’s how it works:

1. Data gathering. Nedap activity monitors identify each cow and track signs of heat, barn position, eating behavior, rumination patterns and inactivity around the clock.
2. Bringing data to life. Nedap Augmented Reality uses Microsoft Hololens mixed-reality goggles to display data above each cow in your field of vision. With one tap, you can see her heat and health information, pregnancy status and reproduction insights. Need to find Cow #134? Nedap Augmented Reality displays a green arrow that can take you to her exact location in the barn.
3. Intuitive interaction, seamless user experience. Nedap Augmented Reality registers both hand gestures and voice commands, offering seamless navigation and intuitive user experience. There’s no need to carry a tablet or keyboard, all actions automatically sync with your management system.

Two ways to experience the future

Visit Nedap at World Dairy Expo (Exhibition Hall booth 1915-1916) to see and touch the future of dairy technology.

And, mark your calendar for Nedap’s Knowledge Nook session at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2. Nedap’s Roxie Muller will discuss the future of dairy technology and what you can do today to prepare your farm for the future.

Not planning to attend World Dairy Expo? Visit nedap.com/dairyfarming to learn more, or contact Cheryl Day at cheryl.day@nedap.com.

Nedap Livestock Management is the global leader in farming automation using individual animal identification. For more than 40 years, Nedap strengthens dairy farmers through the most reliable and innovative cow identification, monitoring and automation solutions. They empower managers and personnel with dependable information to make operational and strategic decisions and help dairies become more efficient, productive and successful.

For Nedap, trust and reliability in both partnership and technology are key. Leading international dairy farming companies, including genetics and milking equipment suppliers, partner with Nedap to include its technology in their systems. A publicly listed company, Nedap employs more than 700 people globally, across 11 locations and seven business units.