Sheep collar 'cries wolf' with text message to shepherds

[Bob33]

http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/sheep-collar-cries-wolf-text-message-shepherds-926799

Modern-day shepherds may soon gaze at their smartphones instead of their flock thanks to a high-tech sheep collar that sends a text message when a wolf attacks.

The collar is under development in Europe where wolves are making a comeback. In concept, it could be used as a replacement for sheepdogs, which are apparently more costly to maintain in a world where just about everyone carries a mobile phone.


In a recent trial, a heart-rate monitor similar to those worn by gadget-obsessed runners was fitted to the collars of 12 sheep. When a pair of muzzled Czechoslovakian wolfdogs attacked, the sheep's hearts jumped from around 80 beats per minute to 225.

The spike was sharp enough to warrant building a future version that will emit a repellant to drive away the wolf as well as send a text message to a shepherd, Swiss biologist Jean-Marc Landry  from the Swiss carnivore research group Kora told The Telegraph.

Field trials with the texting collar are expected to begin in this fall in Switzerland with a final prototype ready for testing in 2013.

--Via Gizmodo, PhyOrg, The Telegraph

[deaner]

maybe the repellant could come in the form of an infrared unit that will detect body heat in the shape of a wolf and release 130 grain lead projectiles toward said heat signature.

[Woodchuck]

  Now that is good thinking right there

[farmin4u_98948]

Sure. Like there's cell overage on the wilderness ranges.... NOT!!!!!!!!!!   

[nwwanderer]

Let's see, cell phone rings at 3am, clothes on and out the door at 3:04, pickup will not start, take wife's car, make it the the 4wd part of the road at 4:32, walk the last 4 miles to the designated gps coordinates and watch the pups disappear over the ridge with the last remnants of two ewes.  No evidence left for conformation.  Watch the sun rise and start the rest of my day.