“We have no interest in making a technology that doesn’t serve farmers. The idea is to make sure it’s practical and that the technology really will change the game.”

Biometric firm Genesmith will begin trialing a facial recognition system for sheep in parts of Australia, to better manage farmer’s flocks and productivity.

Genesmith’s Managing director Mark Ferguson told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that his software aims to identify a flock’s most productive ewes, and then isolating them and improving their bloodlines.

Ferguson said his technology can identify animals from over 100 meters away (a little less than a football field in length). The cameras can scan in 360 degrees around a paddock, learning the visage of the sheep in such a way that allows users to identify the animals later.

Ferguson adds that this could be a more cost effective option than other prior methods livestock mitigation, breeding, and production.

We’ve got pregnancy scanning so we know who went into that paddock with two fetuses, but we don’t know who comes out with two lambs and how heavy those lambs are.

Some of those ewes might have brought in lambs that are 15 kilos, and another one of those ewes might have two lambs that are 30 kilos each.

That’s a massive difference in profitability.

One camera or a couple of cameras can handle lots of animals compared to having to put one thing on individual animals, which works beautifully with cattle but the price point is a bit steep with sheep.

We have no interest in making a technology that doesn’t serve farmers. The idea is to make sure it’s practical and that the technology really will change the game.

He said
Georgie Macfarlane and Mark Ferguson have been conducting trials for years. Courtesy: ABC

Even so it’s not perfect. Associate Professor with Sydney University’s Livestock and Production Welfare Group, Cameron Clark, said he has confidence in this technology but acknowledged the challenges in properly collecting an original image of the sheep for the camera to analyze.

In the field, given the environment we’ve got, how do you get that great image input into the system.

He said

AUTHOR COMMENTARY

Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.

Proverbs 27:23

And facial recognition is needed to achieve that. The irony of this: sheeple spying on their sheep.


[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).

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2 Comments

  • thats discriminatory against all other land animals and it is non-inclusive to all aquatic species. lol

    bunch of ai-tarts.

    i have never met such a group of bored and lonely individuals like that of the tech world.

    shame shear shame ( pun intended hahaha)

    btw cali running another psyop i hear.

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