A Multi-Sensory Cattle Monitoring System With Wireless and Solar Charging Capabilities

Livestock plays a vital role in socioeconomic growth, and it is necessary to improve the quantity and quality of animal products. The precision livestock farming paradigm aims to increase food production while maintaining animal welfare using sensors, the Internet of Things (IoT), and predictive analytics. This research proposes a cattle monitoring system that features an accelerometer for activity detection, a photoplethysmography sensor for heart rate and oxygen saturation, a thermistor, and a GPS module. An ESP32-based board with integrated Wi-Fi collects and sends data to a server. Additionally, the proposed system is equipped with solar and wireless charging capabilities, eliminating the need for manual charging or battery replacement. The wireless charging system consists of three receiving coils located in the cattle monitoring system and two receiving coils in the cattle feeding and resting area. Finally, the total energy consumption of all electronic components was 22.6Wh, while the combined energy produced by the solar panels and wireless charging system was 36.7Wh, thus satisfying the energy requirements of the device.