Thursday, October 11, 2018

Semtech, SK Telecom Launches Cattle Monitoring Product

Camarillo-based analog and mixed-signal semiconducto developer Semtech and South Korean telecom giant SK Telecom have announced this morning that the two have launched an Internet-of-Things (IoT) network--based on Semtech's LoRa technology--for monitoring the health of cattle in South Korea. According to the two, they have rolled out a new product called LiveCare, which uses LoRa-equipped "bio-capsules" implanted in a cow's gastrointestinal tract, to monitor cattle health. The product is being applied to the dairy industry in South Korean, and being used to monitor cattle health for milk production. The two said that the "bio-capsule" monitors a cow's body temperature and other vitals, to help detect disease The two claim that a trial run of the product helped increase annual milk harvest by 1,200 liters per cow, which translates to around $1,100 in income per cow for the farmer. Semtech's LoRa technology provides low power wireless communications, and is capable of transmitting information with up to ten year battery life.