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Absent farmers can keep a high-tech 'eye' on their properties

August 21, 2006

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A cutting-edge farm monitoring system that allows farmers to see what's happening on their properties from virtually anywhere in the world is entering a commercial trial phase.

Developed by The University of New England's Institute for Rural Futures (IRF) and Telstra Country Wide, the system uses the Internet to give farmers a real-time visual connection - through a computer or mobile phone - with their properties.

"The overriding benefit of this system is that it can save farmers money," said Brendan Doyle, the Assistant Director of IRF. "The cost of running farming operations is on the rise. The costs of fuel, and vehicle repairs and maintenance, are rising rapidly, as is the cost of labour on the land. With the falling costs of telecommunication services, this farm monitoring technology responds to the need for a cost-effective means of monitoring farms and their operations."

"The applications are virtually limitless, but along with the cost-savings to the business, our focus at this point is farm security and the peace-of-mind that comes with that," said Telstra Country Wide's General Manager for North West NSW, Elise Munsie. "In this area, our partnership with the Institute for Rural Futures at UNE has given farmers a fighting chance when it comes to farm security. If one or both members of the farming partnership work off-farm, or the farm is large, this technology provides a level of security and peace-of-mind, that they currently don't have."

The new system combines practical rural knowledge and innovation with Telstra's CDMA mobile network, and will be capable of operating on the new 3G 850 network when that arrives early next year. Each unit consists of a sturdy but portable steel stand, electronic switching components and telecommunication technology, and a solar panel and camera. Successful on-farm trials in the New England region over the past 18 months have demonstrated the system's unique strengths and cost-effectiveness.

Chris Weber, an IRF Project Officer, conducted the farm trial phase of the project. Sitting in his office at UNE, he demonstrated how he was able to operate a video camera on his property near Walcha, about an hour's drive away, and "look through the camera" at his farm.

"This is a project we've been talking about and working on for a long time, so we're all very excited to see it coming to fruition," Ms Munsie explained. "The two units that will be showcased at our site at Ag-Quip in Gunnedah from the 22nd to the 24th of August represent our first commercial prototype. We will be moving on from this point to have 20 units - manufactured at UNE's Science Engineering Workshop - rolled out to farms and other businesses across Queensland, NSW and Victoria for commercial testing. Ag-Quip is one of the vital forums through which we can get feedback from potential users, factor in their input, and gauge their needs for the future".

Mr Doyle said the new system represented "a quantum leap in farm security". "Every year, farmers lose hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of livestock and equipment to thieves," he said. "With the exception of emerging electronic identification strategies, there has been perceivably very little advancement in the fight against rural crime - until now.

"Through our farm trials, the concept has proven to be reliable, convenient, and - above all - user-friendly. The development of the unit into the future will see farmers able to monitor water troughs, electric fences and livestock movement. In the near future, this technology could be developed towards remote-controlled farming. We are currently opening and closing gates on properties from virtually anywhere in the world. It provides a whole range of possibilities to farmers that just weren't there before.

"The purpose of the commercial trial phase we are entering into is to get some hard data on how the technology works - and its benefits, and so on, according to the farmers who will be putting it into practice."

For more information please contact Brendan Doyle: 02 6773 3077 or 0428 597 113.

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here was taken in UNE's Science Engineering Workshop. Standing around a solar panel and camera for the farm-monitoring system are (from left) Nathan Axelsson (Telstra Country Wide's Marketing Specialist - North West NSW), Elise Munsie, Brendan Doyle, Mike Beveridge (Science Engineering Workshop), Chris Weber, and Andrew Gasbarri (Science Engineering Workshop Manager).

Posted by Jim Scanlan at August 21, 2006 03:04 PM