Even farm animals in China are able to be tracked using the most recent technology.  

Vert City Farm is based in Shanghai and currently testing facial recognition technology in order to prevent incest in its flock. This could lead to a wider rollout of the technology in 2022. 

The artificial intelligence (AI) technology uses a camera to track goats that are housed together that may be related to one another, based on colour-coding.    

Two related goats may try to mate, and technology will notify staff at the farm via their phones.  

It will “improve work efficiency, quality and livestock production” by eliminating incest-related birth defects.  

The system tracks each goat's 'area' and weight. Facial recognition can also avoid inbreeding among the goats, based on colour-coding

It tracks the goats’ ‘area’ as well as their weight. Based on colour-coding, facial recognition is also possible to avoid breeding among goats. 

Staff members at Vert City Farm get a livestream on their phone and updates when two related goats may be trying to mate

Vert City Farm staff get live streams on their phones and notifications when related goats are trying to mat.

WHAT IS THE KEY TO IT? 

Vert City Farm uses cameras to monitor goat pen activity. They provide an easy way to stream data into staff computers.

Artificial intelligence technology uses the camera feed to calculate its weight.

Color coding is used to identify goats who are closely related. Staff phones receive alerts if goats trying to mate. 

It can also recognise other characteristics in each of the goats, including behaviour, body shape and exercise patterns, as well as early signs of disease, including sore mouth and diarrhoea. 

It uses infrared to measure each goat’s body temperature and can alert staff if this rises above 104°F (40°C).  

Thanks to the technology, the farm only needs to hire seven people to manage 10,000 goats, Global Times reported. 

The staff receives updates via their smartphone, which allows them to perform other duties at the farm and the technology can keep tabs on the goat flock. 

Huang Zhen of Wanhe Technology Development Group said, “Workers don’t have to check the goats’ condition on-the spot.” 

“For example, currently we have 11 people who manage 3,000 goats. You can see every information on each goat’s computer screen including gender, age, weight and status of vaccinations.   

The system tracks each goat's 'area' and weight. Facial recognition can also avoid inbreeding among the goats, based on colour-coding

It tracks the goats’ ‘area’ as well as their weight. Based on colour-coding, facial recognition is also possible to avoid breeding among goats.

It uses infrared to measure each goat's body temperature and can alert staff if this rises above 104°F (40°C)

It uses infrared to measure each goat’s body temperature and can alert staff if this rises above 104°F (40°C)

According to South China Morning Post, the system was discovered by Shanghai Chongming’s district government website. 

MailOnline reached out the government in order to learn more about the system. MailOnline also asked for information on the data required to correctly identify two similar goats. We are curious as to why the farm does not keep the goats from each other.  

A Chinese farm already uses facial recognition technology to increase productivity in times of pork shortage.

Farmers can use artificial intelligence to help keep track of every stage in a hog’s life, including its birth and death.       

The system will improve the breeding quality and health condition of the goats, according to Wanhe Technology Development Group, which has developed the system

The system will improve the breeding quality and health condition of the goats, according to Wanhe Technology Development Group, which has developed the system

This technology works in a similar way to that used for humans. It keeps a constant stream of videos of every pig’s distinctive features, such as its ears, eyes, nose, and markings on the head.

Deep learning algorithms are used to analyse the video frames and upload them to an online database. 

The system instantly matches the individual “pig profile” and updates it. This records details like an ID number and breed as well as weight and gender.  

China is famous for tracking its citizens using the latest technology – notably a Black Mirror-like social rating system to restore morality’ and blacklist ‘untrustworthy’ citizens. 

HOW DOES FACIAL-RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY MAKE IT WORK?

Facial recognition software matches images from real time to an image of the person. 

Every face is unique with approximately 80 nodal points that are located across the eyes and nose. These features help to distinguish each person. 

Digital video cameras measure the distance between different points of the face. This includes the nose width, eye socket depth, jawline shape, and distance between eyes.

A different smart surveillance system (pictured)  can scan 2 billion faces within seconds has been revealed in China. The system connects to millions of CCTV cameras and uses artificial intelligence to pick out targets. The military is working on applying a similar version of this with AI to track people across the country 

China has revealed a new smart surveillance system that can scan up to 2 billion people in just seconds (pictured). It connects with millions of CCTV cameras, and employs artificial intelligence to identify targets. This system is being used by the military to locate people in different parts of the country using AI. 

The unique code is then linked to a match code from an earlier photograph.

Officials in China use facial recognition systems to connect to thousands of CCTV cameras. Artificial intelligence is used to identify targets.

Experts predict that facial recognition technology may soon surpass fingerprint technology to be the best way to identify individuals.