Editor at TechForge Media. Often sighted at global tech conferences with a coffee in one hand and laptop in the other. If it's geeky, I'm probably into it.











Cisco has debuted a smart farm IoT experiment which uses 5G connectivity to keep tabs on a cow of the user’s choice in real-time via their smartphone.

The project, called 5G RuralFirst, is led by Cisco alongside principal partner University of Strathclyde and a consortium of other partners from across business, government, and academia.

Rural testbeds are set to be established across three main sites in the Orkney Islands, Shropshire, and Somerset.

Anyone with an iOS or Android device can download the ‘Me+Moo’ app to get started. You can either start a ‘herd’ or join a pre-existing one (come rep ‘Grassy Muzzles’) and then you pick a cow you share an affinity with.

Connected leg sensors and collars provide real-time information about the cows. My lady, Bertha, is currently scratching and has a huge appetite. So far, she’s slept for two hours.

Other connected technologies at the high-welfare facility include:

Automated cow-sized brushes that start to rotate when a cow rubs up against them

Sensor operated curtains that open or close depending on the weather

Intelligent feeding system that adapts to each cow depending on how they like to eat

Automated milking systems that work when the cow chooses, not the farmer

The app is a bit of fun but also goes to show how powerful industrial IoT can be. Farms have long been expected to be among the first beneficiaries of such technology and the app provides an early look at what possibilities it enables.

UK farmers produce over 60% of the food that is consumed in the UK, so it’s vital any obstacles to IoT adoption are remooved.

Interested in hearing industry leaders discuss subjects like this? Attend the IoT Tech Expo World Series events with upcoming shows in Silicon Valley, London, and Amsterdam.