Researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) have developed an AI-powered smartphone app capable of measuring and estimating the weight of dairy cows, offering a practical tool for farmers, veterinarians and researchers.
The app uses artificial intelligence, smartphone imaging and LiDAR technology to estimate body dimensions and live weight without the need for weighing scales or measuring tapes. According to the research team, the technology could simplify routine herd management while improving animal welfare.
The project was led by Oleksiy Guzhva, Associate Professor at the Department of Biosystems and Technology at SLU. He said the idea emerged after the team encountered claims that similar technology was being used in Portugal.
”It sounded complicated, but we couldn’t verify the claims. Having worked with image analysis for many years, I wanted to investigate whether the technology could work. If successful, it could make life easier for farmers,” Guzhva said in a press release from SLU.
To develop the system, researchers collected more than 10,000 images of dairy cows from different angles and distances in commercial barns. AI algorithms identify up to 600,000 reference points on each animal, allowing accurate body measurements to be calculated from a smartphone image.
According to Guzhva, the app could support a range of on-farm decisions, including feed management, health monitoring and veterinary treatment, where accurate weight estimates are essential for determining medicine dosages.
”With this technology, farmers no longer need to use measuring tapes and scales, which can be time-consuming and may increase the risk of injury. We want the app to simplify difficult tasks and provide valuable information,” he said.
The researchers also see potential for the technology to support the collection of health and welfare indicators across dairy herds. Wider adoption could generate large image datasets for future research and eventually extend the technology to other cattle, calves and horses.
The project was funded by the Swedish Foundation for Agricultural Research (SLF) and carried out in collaboration with dairy farmers and a digital app development agency.
The research is published in Nature under the title ”PickAMoo: LIDAR-enhanced mask R-CNN segmentation for precision weight estimation in dairy cattle using smartphone imaging.”