Developing a Simple Accelerometer Based Grazing Sensor

Abstract

Monitoring the behaviour of animals is a difficult and time consuming task. Whilst the gold standard remains direct or video observation, several technologies have been developed to alleviate the need for human input. One of the key technologies that has been increasingly used by animal researchers is accelerometers. These devices measure the force due to acceleration, usually in several axes. In this trial the utility of a simple 3-axis accelerometer to distinguish between several key behaviours was examined.