Internetless Low-Cost Sensing System for Real-Time Livestock Monitoring

Smart farming is a progressive domain marked by extensive research and solutions. The predominant approach involves the use of low-power wide area networks (LPWANs) for communication, with subsequent data transfer to a cloud server once Internet connectivity is established. In this letter, we present the design and development of a novel smart farming sensor system that combines heterogeneous short-mid range communication technologies with low-cost edge devices, sensors, and a multihopping algorithm to transmit real-time animal alert data without Internet connectivity or a cloud server. The system consists of smart collar devices for livestock, fixed gateway(s) for storage, and a mobile unit to exchange data with a farmer's mobile phone. Our testing in a controlled real-world environment demonstrated the viability of such a network with over 90% real-time alerts that trigger a notification on a mobile phone in several unique test cases.