The Cyprus Research and Innovation Centre (CyRIC) this week announced that it is spearheading the EU-funded dAIry 4.0 project, focusing on advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and data solutions for individualised automated milking and feeding of dairy cows.

The initiative seeks to enhance agricultural production efficiency, reduce raw material usage, and positively impact society, animal welfare, climate, and biodiversity.

The dAIry 4.0 Consortium, comprising esteemed scientists from industry and academia across six EU Member States, recently convened in the Netherlands to kickstart the project, which aims to revolutionise Automated Milking Systems (AMS) through the integration of AI, data, and robotics solutions.

The announcement explained that the goal is to showcase tangible results through real-world use cases.

Moreover, the project’s coordinators explained that since the introduction of AMS in the late 20th century, farmers have experienced improved efficiency and reduced manual labour and costs.

These systems not only efficiently harvest milk but also gather valuable data on production, milk composition, cow health, and behaviour.

The dAIry 4.0 project aims to further optimise existing AMS capabilities by developing new hardware and software modules and enhancing the data management platform.

CyRIC’s announcement mentioned that the upgraded system will feature integrated tools for innovative simulations, data analysis, and graphical representation.

Real-world use cases, reflecting the interests of both the farming sector and the food industry, will demonstrate the project’s approach.

Initial testing within R&D facilities will ensure successful integration, followed by validation through real-world scenarios on collaborating farms across Europe.

The collaborative effort involves a multi-disciplinary team coordinated by CyRIC, operating under the EU’s Horizon Europe Programme. Launched on October 1, 2023, the project is set to run for three and a half years.

The European Union funds the initiative, with views and opinions expressed solely reflecting those of the authors. The EU or the granting authority cannot be held responsible for the expressed views.

Project partners include Lely Industries (Netherlands), Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (Spain), Aristoteleio Panepistimio Thessalonikis (Greece), Technische Universität Wien (Austria), Erevnitiko Panepistimiako Institouto Systimaton Epikoinonion kai Ypologiston (Greece), and Alpes Lasers SA (Switzerland).