Get the biggest stories sent straight to your inbox Sign up for regular updates and breaking news from WalesOnline Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A pioneering project to turn farmers’ fields into digital smart zones with the help of livestock has been launched in North Wales.

The plan is to connect the internet to everything from sheep to riverbanks so that the countryside can also benefit from the digital revolution that cities enjoy.

Under the proposals, digital collars could track animals, soil sensors warn of erosion, riverbank devices give flooding alerts and even badger tags provide an early warning system for bovine TB.

The Internet of Things

“The possibilities are limitless,” said project leader Prof Gordon Blair.

His team at Lancaster University has been awarded £171,000 to assess if the Internet of Things (IOT) concept can be extended to rural areas.

IOT technology allows everyday objects, from fridges to doorbells and lights, to be controlled remotely using mobile phones, with a two-way flow of information mediated by apps.

Related: Free Wi-Fi for Arriva Trains Wales passengers from 2017 under new £50m Government investment

The project began in December with the deployment of riverbank sensors to monitor rainfall. It will eventually be extended to two or three locations.

The 30 best pictures of sheep you'll ever see

Sheep will be gradually equipped with electronic collars to monitor their movements and understand their habits.

These, in theory, could also be used to create as many wi-fi access points as the animals wearing them.

Sensors on animals

Improved internet access in remote rural areas is a tantalising prospect, but Prof Blair said the project’s main purpose is to assess environmental benefits rather than public applications.

He said: “Cities have been the focus of much of the boom in this type of technology – it has been used to keep traffic flowing on our roads, monitor air pollution and even help us find a parking spot.

“But the countryside faces challenges of its own, from subtle environmental changes to catastrophic events such as flooding.”

Related: Poachers, baiters and rustlers beware - Wales has its own 'Ace Ventura'

Working with scientists from Bangor University, one focus is on the pollution impact on rivers by flocks of sheep.

Sensors on animals, in soils and on riverbanks will help researchers discern patterns in behaviour.

Speaking to BBC Wales, Dave Chadwick, professor of sustainable land use at Bangor University, said sheep tend to gather in one place at night.

Electronic collars for sheep

He said: “Wherever they congregate, whether it’s at feeding toughs of at the side of streams and rivers, they will tend to urinate there, and this can cause real hotspots for pollution.”

Sheep will be given electronic collars that can transmit data over a range of 5km.

This opens up the possibility of them being used as mobile wifi hotspots.

Sheep are already required to wear electronic identification tags, while some farmers equip their dairy cattle with collar-mounted activity meters to detect heat and illnesses.

At Glastonbury, mobile provider EE installed wifi on “fake” cows to act as hotspots, while sheep in Yorkshire were fitted with cameras to capture the Tour De France as it travelled through the county.

Applying this technology to the countryside will not be easy – but researchers believe the benefits could be huge.