Drones and AI On-Farm

**John Hill and Eden Muzzall, T/A E and J Farming in Littledale** are working in partnership with The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and Myerscough College on the development of a bold, ambitious, and innovative solution that will revolutionise how livestock farmers from less favoured areas operate day-to-day in their farm business, while also exploiting new opportunities within industry subsectors and accelerating innovation within wider UK research communities.

**This productivity and sustainability-focused pilot** project will investigate and demonstrate how using drones and artificial intelligence software for livestock management can detect issues before they become major problems. It will provide a better way to regularly inspect animals on a farm, provide on-demand accurate information to the farmer and enable early interventions should an animal go missing or needs attention on the grounds of animal health and welfare, and it can also reduce our reliance on fossil-fuelled vehicles.

Current methods rely heavily on labour time input and human judgment. The use of AI-based software can remove the chance of human error and lower labour time input. A drone, together with its sensors and software can be designed to detect temperature changes, therefore, giving us the ability to monitor cows which are coming into season (where their temperature rises), supporting a more concentrated calving period. The technology also provides a timely early indication of animal temperature anomalies so that treatment or interventions can be administered quickly. This information will potentially lower antibiotic use and mortality rates, whilst also increasing animal health, welfare, and productivity.

**Project aim:**

* Reduce the amount of farmer's time spent on covering large spaces so farmers can focus on other areas of their businesses and improve productivity
* Reduce the reliance on fossil fuels to have better sustainability and environmental impact and progression towards net zero emissions
* Increase farm resilience by streamlining operations and using robust data analytics.

**A key objective** is to de-skill drone deployment to make it accessible to all farmers. This will include pioneering the use of 'drone in a box' solutions. UCLan will consult with user experience specialists to design an interface that is focused on clarity and ease of use, providing only the necessary information when it is required thereby reducing the learning curve for farmers.