A US Department of Agriculture news story describes some unusual research being done by Dean M. Anderson of the USDA's Agricultural Research Service. Anderson is working with engineers at MIT to develop a "walkman-like headset" for cows. Once fitted with the new hardware, a cow would received commands controlling their movements. The headset would combine GPS data with remote commands sent from humans to guide the cows across the range and into the corral. The units would also be loaded with sensors such as accelerometers and magnetometers, returning data about each cow's body orientation and configuration. The actual navigational guidance would include both spatially positioned irritating sounds, which the cows try to move away from, and also "mild electrical stimulation" to prevent cows from crossing into forbidden zones.


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