Cow management system SmartSight

healthfertilitymilking

Overview SmartSight is an AI-powered vision system for early detection of lameness in dairy cows. It monitors each cow's locomotion at every milking and provides objective locomotion scores to support timely treatment and recovery decisions.

Why it matters Approximately 90% of dairy cows experience lameness at least once during their lifetime. Lameness is among the top three reasons for involuntary culling (about 15% of culls) and negatively affects mobility, feeding, lying behaviour, estrus expression and recovery.

Impact on farm economics

• Direct costs for treatment and additional labor
• Milk yield losses of 10–30%
• Premature culling
• Reduced fertility and increased risk of secondary health issues
• Lower animal welfare indicators

Benefits / Results SmartSight enables earlier, targeted intervention, resulting in:

• Fewer severe lameness cases
• Shorter treatment duration and reduced costs
• Preserved milk yield and fertility
• Improved herd health and welfare

Early intervention shortens lameness episodes by an average of ~40 days and corresponds to estimated savings of about $45 per cow per year.

How it works SmartSight uses AI-driven vision and machine learning to monitor locomotion multiple times per day during milking. The system is designed for easy on‑farm deployment and integrates with the Nedap cow monitoring platform. It is validated through years of on‑farm use and data analysis.

Performance insights The system delivers reliable locomotion scores per cow to guide treatment and recovery. On‑farm reports indicate that perceived lameness (5–10%) often underestimates true prevalence (20–25%).

Technical specifications

• Model: SmartSight
• Technology: AI-driven vision and machine learning for locomotion analysis
• Data capture: Monitors each cow's locomotion at every milking
• Integration: Integrates with the Nedap cow monitoring platform
• Deployment: Designed for straightforward installation in most farm layouts
• Outputs: Objective locomotion scores per cow
• Validation: Proven in multi-year on‑farm trials and data analysis
• Reported impact: ~40 days reduction in case duration; estimated saving of ~$45 per cow/year