15 May 2024
Boehringer Ingelheim’s SoundTalks device harnesses technology to “listen” to frequency and intensity of coughs to help prevent swine respiratory condition outbreaks on farms.
Paul Imrie
Job TitleA system using artificial intelligence (AI) to detect respiratory diseases up to five days quicker in pigs has been launched to the UK and Ireland market.
Boehringer Ingelheim’s SoundTalks system is designed to provide real-time data to farmers by using AI algorithms to “listen” to the intensity and frequency of coughs in pigs.
Farmers are then alerted to the onset of potential problems and can seek advice from their vets.
The company said the device – built on years of real farm sound data and harnessing AI and machine learning – can help improve pig health and on-farm efficiency, as it can monitor and avoid the need for constant human observation.
Boehringer Ingelheim said the device had been shown to detect respiratory diseases up to five days sooner than conventional methods.
Findlay MacBean, head of livestock for Boehringer Ingelheim UK and Ireland, said: “Respiratory diseases can be detrimental not only to the health and well-being of livestock, but a farmer’s bottom line.
“Against the backdrop of the wider pressures British and Irish pig farmers face today, including labour shortages and the rising costs of production, maintaining herd health is becoming more challenging – and crucially, more important.
“Through tools like SoundTalks, Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to creating innovative solutions that enable farmers to predict, prevent and treat animal health conditions, helping them to achieve more.”
A SoundTalk device covers up to a 10-metre radius and features a microphone and humidity and temperature sensors.
Monitors then transmit data to the cloud where sounds are analysed. Boehringer Ingelheim said its device differed to others in that years of data was used to build algorithms that the device uses to compare and detect coughs – and that it continually learns.
Data is translated to a respiratory health score, with data visualised in an online dashboard and mobile app to help farmers identify and focus attention on the right group of pigs.
Full details are available online.
