Using sensors, block chain for better animal welfare in transit

Apr 10, 2018

Guelph – A new sensor-based tracking system for livestock could provide peace of mind for farmers, food companies and consumers that animals are being treated humanely during transport.

Transport Genie monitors microclimate conditions inside livestock trailers and provides that information to users along the supply chain using block chain technology.

Block chains are a digital ledger of all transactions in a supply chain – information is passed along digitally as an attachment to the chain instead of through a paper trail and the permanent links between the blocks eliminate the possibility of data tampering.

“The devices currently monitor conditions like humidity and temperature inside a trailer, but could in future also track things like CO2 levels, acceleration and breaking to ensure livestock arrive at their destination safely, alive and healthy,” explains Kristen Celotto, part of the Transport Genie development team. “And if animals are injured or die in-transit, the sensors can indicate what went wrong and when.”

Although there are already other sensors on the market that do similar tasks, Transport Genie’s advantage is that it provides the information in real-time – to the transport driver, as well as dispatchers and others who wish to receive notifications via email or text message

“Older devices only record data but that doesn’t help in transit. Our sensor will tell you immediately if the temperature is getting too high, for example, so that drivers can take action right away based on accurate real-time data,” says senior developer Idris Soule.

Small sensors are placed in various areas of the transport trailer that record data and transmit it to a server. They’re also connected to a monitor in the truck’s cab and automatically send alerts if they notice changes in temperature or humidity. If the server connection is dropped, the information is stored in the cab and uploaded once the system goes back online.