Israeli startup BeeFree Agro has begun operating a system of autonomous flying drones designed to herd and manage herds of cattle. The company’s founder, Noam Azran, spent several years riding a horse, guarding cattle ranches, after which he decided to develop autonomous systems that could perform the tasks of a shepherd as well as a human.
Image source: Stijn te Strake / Unsplash
The startup has already delivered the first batch of autonomous drones to a customer who will be monitoring a large herd. Azran is confident in the prospects of his development. “I find it hard to imagine that in 10 years there will be commercial livestock farmers who will not use this system,” said the founder of BeeFree Agro.
Image source: BeeFree Agro
The company is confident that drones will make the best shepherds. They do not get tired or sick, do not require a salary increase and can work around the clock. In addition, the system is autonomous, i.e. it can fully function without careful human control. The basis of the development is standard flying drones, but specialized software adds shepherd functions to them. The startup has created an artificial intelligence model that will allow livestock breeders to monitor each cow in the herd and quickly receive all the necessary data.
The first practical tests of the drone system began in January this year in Brazil, where it currently controls a herd of about 3 million heads. As the world’s population grows, demand for beef is expected to increase, so BeeFree Agro’s development could prove to be in high demand. According to Azran, his company is already collaborating with major meat processing companies.