Combination of Multi-Agent Systems and Wireless Sensor Networks for the Monitoring of Cattle

Abstract

Precision breeding techniques have been widely used to optimize expenses and increase livestock yields. Notwithstanding, the joint use of heterogeneous sensors and artificial intelligence techniques for the simultaneous analysis or detection of different problems that cattle may present has not been addressed. This study arises from the necessity to obtain a technological tool that faces this state of the art limitation. As novelty, this work presents a multi-agent architecture based on virtual organizations which allows to deploy a new embedded agent model in computationally limited autonomous sensors, making use of the Platform for Automatic coNstruction of orGanizations of intElligent Agents (PANGEA). To validate the proposed platform, different studies have been performed, where parameters specific to each animal are studied, such as physical activity, temperature, estrus cycle state and the moment in which the animal goes into labor. In addition, a set of applications that allow farmers to remotely monitor the livestock have been developed.

Monitoring and Control Systems in Agriculture Using Intelligent Sensor Techniques: A Review of the Aeroponic System

“…Besides, several new techniques and application have been introduced and patented to improve the traditional agriculture practices. However, experts mainly focused and monitor the climatic condition, soil properties, water quality, plant development, livestock management, and fertilizer application, pesticide application, and illumination control through various intelligent techniques [26][27][28][29][30][31][32]. Meanwhile, it could be concluded that traditional agricultural logistics is improved and upgraded by introducing and implementing the several modern technologies and techniques in agriculture domains [33].…”

GreenVMAS: Virtual Organization Based Platform for Heating Greenhouses Using Waste Energy from Power Plants

“…Virtual organization of agents have evolved from traditional MAS architectures, they allow for the organization of groups according to their tasks within the system [ 38 ]. They also allow for solving complex sub-problems (like sensor management, data collection, information analysis or decision making [ 39 ]).…”

Coin Recognition Approach in Social Environments Using Virtual Organizations of Agents

“…Multi-agent systems are computational distributed systems with high capacities for learning and adaptation and can be very appropriate to design pervasive systems [10]. Multi-agent systems have been successfully used to develop pervasive systems in different scenarios [7,11,12] and can contribute to improving the labour and social integration of disabled people [8]. Multi-agent systems not only provide distributed communication and computation capacities, but also reasoning and adaptation abilities, which allow us to design intelligent adaptive environments in a simple and flexible way, for example, to help visually disabled people in common tasks such as recognizing objects like coins in different situations of their daily life.…”