The story of BeeFree Agro begins in a cattle ranch in the Galilee Heights. Like all farmers, we encountered economic and social changes that forced us to adapt. Initially using drones for visual surveillance, we quickly discovered that animals react to them. That’s how JOE was born.
JOE is a technological system that moves up to 1,000 head of cattle over vast expanses of land without human intervention, using a single drone. Named after our favourite herding dog, JOE displays all the characteristics of a good herding pal: intelligent, loyal, follows orders, autonomous, fast and easy to operate.
JOE revolutionised our lives, significantly reducing our operations costs and organisational and personal stress levels. Join us in pursuit of faster, simpler and more cost effective ranching.
We have been using drones to herd our cattle for over five years. We have experienced savings of 50% in labor costs, horse transportation, vehicle wear and tear, new worker training and recruitment, and above all – time. Time with our families and happier, healthier lives.
Noam Azran and Dvir Cohen with the Joe drone on their ranch
Setup
The system is set up with the parameters of your operation: pastures, fences, gates, water troughs, natural boundaries.
Herding
On herding days, JOE works with you.
- Select the pasture you want to work
- Select the destination
- Input recommended route (optional)
- Press GO
- Stay within 5 km / 3 miles of the drone
“Using a drone, instead of cowboys and dogs, creates a much less stressful environment for the animals, and an animal that is less stressful is a lot healthier and more productive,”
said Noam Azran, CEO of BeeFree Agro.
Joe is controlled by a mobile app. The software first pilots the drone around the countryside to scout out the most efficient herding routes. Then it’s one click to launch the drone.
Onboard cameras provide a live video stream to the Joe app so the rancher knows what’s happening in real time. The cows (or camels in Dubai’s case) need to have GPS tags attached so the system can track them.
GPS tags also play a preventative role.
“If there’s abnormal behaviour in a herd – a predator is coming or someone is trying to move the animals where they shouldn’t be – the rancher will get a notification and can send out a drone. He’ll get video footage so he can see who’s messing with his animals,” Azran explains.
BeeFree Agro is building the software only; the system is intended to work on any type of off-the-shelf drone hardware.
Source: Website