Georgia Fulton
Information
SowSense: Welfare-Focused Design for the NZ Pork Industry is a four-part system designed to prevent piglet crushing which occurs when the sow (mother pig) rolls onto her piglets and suffocates them. It consists of a pressure-sensing coat which initiates an alarm ear tag to startle the sow, making her stand up off the trapped piglet when detected by the coat. Alerts and notifications are sent to an app on the farmer's phone via beacons placed around the farm if it lacks mobile signal.
Through a love of agriculture and industrial design, I have investigated the effect of animal welfare, production and imports on the NZ Pork Industry. My design addresses the issue of piglet losses on outdoor farms and improves the experience for farmers.
Pressure-sensing coat: Durable and waterproof materials, embedded sensor technology, adjustable and flexible design to allow natural movement.
Alarm that attaches onto a standard ear tag.
Communication beacon to bounce signal between devices. Illuminates at night to allow farmer to check on piglets.
Phone or iPad app which allows the farmer to manage their farm and receive important notifications like when the sow is about to give birth.
Farmer carrying folded up SowSense coat as a backpack.
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