COW GUARD

Inspiration The dairy industry faces significant losses due to mastitis, a common disease in dairy cows that affects milk quality and yield. Inspired by the need for early detection and real-time monitoring, we developed COW GUARD to help farmers proactively manage mastitis. Our goal is to provide an affordable, user-friendly solution that empowers farmers with advanced technology for better livestock health management.

What it does COW GUARD is a smart system designed to detect subclinical mastitis in dairy cows using electrical conductivity (EC) measurements of milk. Key features include:

Real-time monitoring: Automatically records milk conductivity data from a connected EC meter via WiFi. Individual cow records: Maintains detailed records for each cow, including historical EC readings. Alerts for veterinarians: Sends notifications to the veterinarian's mobile number when EC readings exceed 5.5 µS/cm, along with farmer details and the last five readings. Cloud integration: Stores all data securely in Firebase for easy access and analysis. User-friendly workflow: Guides users through steps like farmer and veterinarian registration, cow management, and data tracking. How we built it Hardware:

Used an ESP8266 module to connect the milk conductivity meter to the app via WiFi. Incorporated sensors like the DFRobot Gravity Analog EC Sensor and TDS sensor for accurate measurements. Software:

Developed the app using Flutter and Firebase for seamless data storage and user experience. Leveraged Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) for sending alerts to veterinarians. Integrated Arduino IDE to manage sensor data collection and transmission. Design:

Created a user-friendly interface with colorful and intuitive navigation for farmers and veterinarians. Challenges we ran into Sensor Calibration: Ensuring the EC sensor provided accurate and consistent readings required multiple iterations. Real-time Communication: Establishing a reliable WiFi connection between the hardware and app posed initial challenges. Data Structuring: Designing a database structure in Firebase that could efficiently handle multiple cows and their individual records. User Accessibility: Simplifying the app interface for users with limited technical experience while retaining advanced functionality. Accomplishments that we're proud of Successfully developed a system that detects subclinical mastitis with high accuracy and reliability. Built an intuitive app that bridges the gap between farmers and veterinarians for better livestock care. Streamlined the workflow for managing multiple cows and their health records. Leveraged advanced technologies like WiFi-enabled EC meters and Firebase Cloud Messaging. What we learned The importance of user feedback in creating practical and effective solutions for farmers. How to integrate hardware and software components for seamless real-time communication. Best practices for managing and storing data in Firebase for agricultural applications. The critical role of early disease detection in improving livestock health and farm productivity. What's next for COW GUARD Enhanced Features:

Add predictive analytics using machine learning to forecast potential mastitis cases. Include a dashboard for veterinarians to monitor all their assigned farms in one place. Expanded Integration:

Support additional sensors for monitoring other health indicators, such as body temperature and heart rate. Develop multilingual support for better accessibility. Scalability:

Integrate with cloud-based platforms for nationwide deployment. Collaborate with dairy cooperatives to bring COW GUARD to more farmers. Community Impact:

Conduct training programs to educate farmers about mastitis prevention and the use of smart technology. Partner with government and private organizations to subsidize the system for small-scale farmers.

Built With

• arduino-ide-cloud-services:-firebase-(realtime-database
• authentication)-hardware:-esp8266
• c/c++-(arduino-ide)-frameworks/platforms:-flutter
• cloud-messaging
• dfrobot-ec-sensor
• languages:-dart-(flutter)
• tds