Moravcsíková Ágnes, Vyskočilová Zuzana, Šustr Pavel, Bartošová Jitka
Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, 104 00 Praha, Czech Republic.
Department of Ethology and Companion Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic.
Animals (Basel). 2024 Nov 17;14(22):3307. doi: 10.3390/ani14223307.
UWB positioning systems offer innovative solutions for precision monitoring dairy cow behaviour and social dynamics, yet their performance in complex commercial barn environments requires thorough validation. This study evaluated the TrackLab 2.13 (Noldus) UWB system in a dairy barn housing 44-49 cows. We assessed stationary tag positioning using ten fixed tags over seven days, proximity detection between eight cows and ten stationary tags, and moving tag positioning using three tags on a stick to simulate cow movement. System performance varied by tag location, with reliability ranging from 4.09% to 96.73% and an overall mean accuracy of 0.126 ± 0.278 m for stationary tags. After the provider updated the software, only 0.62% of measures exceeded the declared accuracy of 0.30 m. Proximity detection between moving cows and stationary tags showed 81.42% accuracy within a 2-m range. While generally meeting specifications, spatial variations in accuracy and reliability were observed, particularly near barn perimeters. These findings highlight UWB technology's potential for precision livestock farming, welfare assessment, and behaviour research, including social interactions and space use patterns. Results emphasise the need for careful system setup, regular updates, and context-aware data interpretation in commercial settings to maximise benefits in animal welfare monitoring.
超宽带定位系统为精确监测奶牛行为和社会动态提供了创新解决方案，但其在复杂商业牛舍环境中的性能需要进行全面验证。本研究在一个容纳44 - 49头奶牛的奶牛场中评估了TrackLab 2.13（Noldus）超宽带系统。我们在七天内使用十个固定标签评估了固定标签定位，八头奶牛与十个固定标签之间的接近检测，以及使用绑在棍子上的三个标签模拟奶牛移动来评估移动标签定位。系统性能因标签位置而异，固定标签的可靠性范围为4.09%至96.73%，总体平均精度为0.126±0.278米。在供应商更新软件后，只有0.62%的测量值超过了声明的0.30米精度。移动奶牛与固定标签之间的接近检测在2米范围内显示出81.42%的准确率。虽然总体上符合规格，但观察到精度和可靠性存在空间变化，特别是在牛舍周边附近。这些发现凸显了超宽带技术在精准畜牧养殖、福利评估和行为研究（包括社会互动和空间使用模式）方面的潜力。结果强调在商业环境中需要仔细进行系统设置、定期更新以及基于上下文的数据解读，以最大限度地提高动物福利监测的效益。
