LEXINGTON,Ky. — Over 3 million cows are dying in the United States annually due to health problems, costing the industry more than $1 billion a year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Jesse Hoagg, the Donald and Gertrude Lester Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Kentucky, believes that eyes in the sky may be the solution to the problem. 

Drone use can provide farmers a way to remotely check the location, health and safety concerns of their cattle quickly and more efficiently. That would allow farmers to address concerns before they get worse. 

Through a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture, the University is being funded $900,000 to study and work on this noninvasive health monitoring approach. These systems aim to identify each individual cow through different characteristics such as facial features and be able to track and measure vital health information for each like size and physical activity. 

“We're blending different disciplines to do something that will hopefully really improve the lives of beef producers.” Hoagg said. 

Using a calf replica on UK’s campus, Hoagg and his graduate students are able to develop and test different formation control approaches in a controlled environment. The project is expected to continue throughout the year until February of 2021.