Review on IoT‑Based Cattle Health Monitoring System Real‑Time

Detection and Alerting for Improved Farm Management

S. Salik Nihal, Santhosh Kumar C., F. Shafiq Mohammed and A. R. Kalaiarasi

Department of Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering, Saveetha Engineering College, Saveetha Nagar, Thandalam,

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Keywords: Predictive Maintenance, Machine Failure Detection, Sensor Data Analytics, Machine Learning, Industrial

Automation, Real‑Time Data Processing, Fault Diagnosis, Proactive Maintenance.

Abstract: Automation and state-of-the-art technologies are significantly improving the productivity of farms. One of

the major areas of research in farm automation is the development of systems to monitor the health of cattle.

Wireless: Mobile and server networks are seamless enabling the monitoring system everywhere. The proposed

monitoring system consists of the following components: infrastructure, hardware, software, and

physiological instruments. Answer: Improving farm productivity largely has to do with keeping cattle healthy,

especially in large dairy farms, where regular health monitoring is much more difficult. This study has very

much significance for the dairy owners and local administration as well. The health monitoring system mainly

aims to track the health of individual cattle over time for early diagnosis and timely treatment of diseases.

Using sensor technology to measure temperature, heart rate and other important behavioral indicators, the

system takes your training through a series of sessions that optimize your performance. This information is

collected and sent to one central health care facility that reduces the need for constant health inspections,

saving money on long-term health care for animals. Smartphone implements also allow for real-time

monitoring of cattle vitals.

1 INTRODUCTION

Automation and technology are revolutionizing farm

productivity, increasingly via integration of high-

tech cattle wellbeing monitoring systems. Routine

health monitoring is a challenge particularly in large

dairy operations, which can be greatly facilitated by

the integration of mobile and wireless sensor

networks. This paper proposes a monitoring system

that combined with various components such as

Internet infrastructure, internet of things (IoT)

hardware and software as well as physiological

instruments measuring cattle health to enhance farm

productivity. However, the main goal is to realize

long-term health monitoring of individual animals,

which allows for timely sick diagnosis and treatment.

The system monitors key behavioral indicators like

temperature and heart rate using advanced sensor

technology. This data can be accessed at any time,

enabling healthcare personnel to monitor patients in

real time at a central health care center, thus

decreasing the number of manual inspections

performed over time and reducing long- term health

care costs. To best serve cattle well-being, dairy

owners, and local authorities, the system can provide

timely health information that can both optimize

practices and improve animal health across the board.

These innovations will help augment farm

automation to improve productivity while delivering

better animal care as needed.

2 EXISTING SYSTEM

Existing work in cattle monitoring system deals with

predicting the pre-disease of the cattle. In other cases,

the projects only deal with milking the cattle and

automated dairy farming. Farmers manually check

cattle for visible signs of illness or distress, which is

time consuming and may miss subtle symptoms.

Health data such as temperature and feeding patterns

are recorded manually, leading to potential

inaccuracies and delayed responses to health issues.

Nihal, S. S., C., S. K., Mohammed, F. S. and Kalaiarasi, A. R.

Review on IoT-Based Cattle Health Monitoring System Real-Time Detection and Alerting for Improved Farm Management.

DOI: 10.5220/0013922300004919

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Research and Development in Information, Communication, and Computing Technologies (ICRDICCT‘25 2025) - Volume 5, pages

45-50

ISBN: 978-989-758-777-1

Visual Inspections: Farmers manually check cattle for

visible signs of illness or distress, which is time-

consuming and may miss subtle symptoms. Manual

Record Keeping: Health data such as temperature and

feeding patterns are recorded manually, leading to

potential inaccuracies and delayed responses to health

issues.

3 PROPOSED SYSTEM

Maintaining optimal health, particularly in dairy

farms, the system ensures better milk production,

improving farm yields. The automated system

reduces the need for manual health checks, cutting

labour costs, minimizing disruptions. Health data

collected over time provides valuable insights that can

b e analysed to optimize farm management practices,

improve animal welfare. The system is designed to

handle large herds, ensuring efficient management

and providing individual attention to each animal as

farms grow. Relying on sensor data instead of

subjective observations, the system ensures more

accurate, consistent, and reliable monitoring of

animal health. The figure 1 shows proposed system

block diagram.

Figure 1: Proposed system block diagram.

4 PROJECT

IMPLEMENTATIONS

Advancements in automation and technology are

revolutionizing farm productivity, particularly

through the development of sophisticated cattle

health monitoring systems. In large dairy operations,

routine health monitoring can be challenging, making

the integration of mobile and wireless sensor

networks highly beneficial.

Figure 2: Project implementation.

This proposed monitoring system combines

infrastructure, hardware, software, and physiological

instruments to enhance farm productivity by focusing

on the health of cattle. The core objective is to provide

continuous health tracking for individual animals,

enabling early diagnosis and swift treatment of

illnesses. The figure 2 shows Project implementation.

By utilizing advanced sensor technology, the system

monitors critical behavioural indicators such as

temperature and heart rate. This real-time data is

transmitted to a central healthcare facility, reducing

the need for frequent manual inspections and thereby

lowering long- term healthcare costs. The system’s

ability to provide timely health information not only

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supports the well-being of the cattle but also benefits

dairy owners and regional authorities by optimizing

management practices and improving overall animal

health. Through these innovations, farm automation

is poised to enhance productivity while ensuring more

efficient and effective animal care.

4.1 Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of

interconnected physical devices embedded with

sensors, software, and other technologies that enable

them to collect, process, and exchange data over the

internet. This technology seamlessly bridges the

physical and digital worlds, revolutionizing various

aspects of daily life and industries. IoT devices range

from household gadgets like smart thermostats and

fitness trackers to sophisticated industrial equipment

and urban infrastructure. The primary goal of IoT is

to enhance efficiency, enable automation, and

provide data-driven insights for better decision-

making. The IoT ecosystem operates through a cycle

of sensing, communication, data processing, and

action. Sensors in devices capture data such as

temperature, motion, or location. This data is

transmitted through communication protocols like

Wi- Fi, Bluetooth, or cellular networks to centralized

or edge- based platforms for processing. Users

interact with the system through mobile applications

or dashboards, enabling informed decisions and

intelligent automation.

4.2 Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is a technology that allows

individuals and organizations to access computing

resources such as servers, storage, databases,

software, and networking over the inter- net, rather

than relying on local infrastructure. By utilizing cloud

services, users can store and process data remotely

and access applications without needing to install or

maintain them on local devices. This approach offers

significant benefits, including cost efficiency,

scalability, flexibility, and accessibility. Instead of

investing in expensive physical hardware, businesses

can leverage cloud providers’ resources on a pay-as-

you-go basis, scaling up or down as needed to match

demand. The three primary models of cloud

computing are Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS),

where users rent virtualized computing resources;

Platform as a Service (PaaS), which provides a

platform for developing and deploying applications

without managing underlying infrastructure; and

Software as a Service (SaaS), where users access fully

managed applications through the web, such as email

services or CRM systems. Cloud computing also

supports hybrid and multi-cloud strategies, allowing

organizations to mix public and private clouds to meet

specific security, performance, and compliance

needs.

5 HARDWARE

IMPLEMENTATIONS

5.1 Arduino Uno

Figure 3: Arduino Uno.

The Arduino Uno is a widely used microcontroller

board based on the ATmega328P chip, making it one

of the most popular development platforms for

beginners and professionals in embedded systems. It

features 14 digital input/output (I/O) pins, out of

which 6 can be used as PWM outputs, allowing for

fine control over components like LEDs and motors.

Additionally, it includes 6 analog input pins, enabling

the board to read sensor data, potentiometers, and

other analog signals. Operating at a clock speed of 16

MHz, the board ensures smooth execution of

programs and accurate timing for various tasks. The

presence of a USB connection allows users to upload

code, communicate with a computer, and power the

board, making it convenient for both programming

and serial communication. The power jack supports

external power sources, such as an AC-to-DC adapter

or a battery, which is particularly useful for

standalone applications that do not rely on a computer

for power. The figure 3 shows Arduino Uno.

Review on IoT-Based Cattle Health Monitoring System Real-Time Detection and Alerting for Improved Farm Management

5.2 DHT11 Sensor

DHT11 Temperature and Humidity Sensor: The

DHT11 (Digital Humidity & Temperature sensor) is

a very low cost and commonly used digital sensor that

measures temperature and humidity in its surrounding

area. It functions within a temperature scale of 0◦C to

50◦C with an accuracy of 2◦C, and a humidity scale

of 20% to 80% with an accuracy of ±5%.

Figure 4: DHT11.

Using a digital output over a one-wire interface,

the sensor makes it a very easy pulg-and-play

functionality with any microcontrollers and IoT

systems. The figure 4 shows DHT11.

5.3 LCD Display

LCD means Liquid Crystal Display; LCD screen is an

electronic display module and find a wide range of

applications. The 16x2 (16 columns and 2 rows) LCD

display is one of the very basic modules and is widely

used in many devices and circuits. These modules

are more preferred than the seven segments and other

complimentary multi segment LEDs. And the reason

is that LCDs are cheap, are easily programmable,

have no restriction of showing special & even user

defined characters (as opposed to seven segments),

animations, etc. So, a 16x2 LCD refers to 16

characters per line and 2 such lines. The figure 5

shows LCD Display.

Figure 5: LCD Display.

5.4 Heartbeat Sensor

Heartbeat is detected using high intensity type LED

and LDR. The finger is placed in between LED and

LDR A photo diode or a photo transistor can be used

as sensors. Detection using transmitted or reflected

light can illuminate skin with visible (red).

Figure 6: Heartbeat sensor.

The minuscule difference in reflectivity and in

transmittance resulting from the changing blood

content of human tissue is nearly imperceptible.

Some noise sources can generate disturbance signals

whose amplitude is equal to or greater than the

amplitude of the pulse signal. The figure 6 shows

Heartbeat sensor.

5.5 ESP-12E Based NodeMCU

Figure 7: NodeMCU.

Ai-thinker Team Develop ESP-12E Wi-Fi

MODULE. module encapsulated with smaller

ESP8266 core processor ESP8266 is an industry-

leading ultra-low power 32 ADDC, integrated

MAC/BB/RF/PA/LNA and built-in antenna.

IEEE802 standard is supported by the module. When

it comes to Wireless Connectivity: 802.11 b/g/n

compliant, and full TCP/IP Protocol Stack. The add

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mod- ules can be integrated into an existing device

network- ing, or implement a separate network

controller. ESP8266 is a high integration wireless

SOCs, designed for the space and power constrained

mobile platform designers. It has the best ability to

integrate Wi-Fi ability into other systems, or to act as

a stand-alone application, at the lowest cost, and

requiring the least amount of area. The figure 7 shows

NodeMCU.

6 RESULT

Real-time monitoring of health information aids in

the early detection of nasty diseases, enabling timely

action to prevent disease outbreaks, decrease health

concerns, and enhance cattle well-being and retention

[165]. Healthy cows are more productive, especially

in dairy farms, where milk production is directly

related to their health. Automated monitoring

systems keep the animals in optimum health and

promote yield and profit with minimal manual ‘health

checks’ required leading to a reduction in labour costs

and a minimisation of disruptions. Timely diagnosis

reduces treatment costs and minimizes losses from

untreated diseases. This not only ensures animal

welfare, but also allows farmers to provide timely

care by constantly tracking their vital signs,

temperature and heart rate. One further use case is the

collection of important health data that can be

studied over time to better inform farm management.

The larger the farms scale up, the more robotic

systems become important for smart herd

management and providing individual attention to

cows. The reliance on objective sensor data rather

than subjective observation minimizes human gaps

and results in more accurate, consistent monitoring.

Pathogen Management for Modern Dairy Farming:

Improving Efficiency and Prosperity in the Industry

This technology is vital to contemporary dairy

farming.

7 FUTURE SCOPE

There are multiple improvements in the cattle health

monitoring system, that can help in the system to

pursue its goals effectively. Utilising sophisticated

machine learning models and AI might allow the

system to identify potential health patient issues, prior

to their critical stage by studying historical

comparative datatics. The integration with other

sensors, including those for measuring blood glu-

cose concentration or rumination frequency, could

provide a more holistic health profile for cattle.

Upgrading with advanced analytics and data

visualization tools on the IoT cloud infrastructure

would enable a more in-depth analysis and decision

making process from detailed insights. Wireless

communica- tion technologies, such as LoRa WAN

or 5G, might also be implemented to enhance the

range and reliability of data transmission,

particularly across remote or large farm areas. Using

GPS-enabled wearable devices or smart collars

could also help with monitoring by providing geo-

tagged health data and tracking cattle movement.

Furthermore, creating automated feedback loops,

where environmental controls automatically kick in

based on sensor readings, can help ensure that the

cattle remain in ideal conditions. Integrating and

customizing health protocols using sensor data, in

collaboration with veterinary professionals, can be

better to treat patients. Such developments would not

just further enhance accuracy and efficiency of health

monitoring, but also promote animal welfare and

farm productivity, leading to smarter and more

responsive practices in the agriculture sector.

8 CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the cattle health monitoring system

incorporating an Arduino Uno and IoT connectivity

has the potential to revolutionize farm management,

especially in large-scale dairy farms. Combine the

capabilities of DHT11, pulse sensor, and

accelerometer, the system enables continuous

tracking of vital health indicators like body

temperature, heart rate, and rumination. Collecting

this data over time helps with identifying aggregated

results for any possible health issues, thus allowing

for a quick response without frequent physical

checks.

Figure 8: Output.

Review on IoT-Based Cattle Health Monitoring System Real-Time Detection and Alerting for Improved Farm Management

This gives the alerts to the farmer in the form of a

notification as well as in the form of a buzzer, which

helps him act fast enough to any abnormal situation.

By taking preventative actions, not only are the cattle

healthier but the farm is profitable with lower long-

term health costs. The project facilitates more

effective management practices by automating and

streamlining the health monitoring process, which

leads to better animal care resulting in enhanced

operational efficiency in dairy farming. The figure 8

shows Output.

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