Wearable Electronics
Technology cooperation for safe animal welfare
When thinking of battery chargers, a wide array of potential applications come to mind: portable medical devices, wearables, test and measurement equipment, to name just a few. Safe animal welfare is probably bottom of the list, if on the list at all. Yet when virtual livestock herding pioneers Nofence knocked on Mascot and Schive’s doors, looking for a battery charging solution for their electronic collars, the need for a close cooperation became clear and both Norwegian power solution specialists rose to the challenge
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n 2016, Nofence’s pilot project received a lot of attention when Norwegian TV viewers were shown goats equipped with electronic collars grazing in the mountains around the Fløibanen funicular in Bergen. The world’s first virtual fence’s benefits were easy to see: providing access to large areas of fresh pastures without having to build or maintain fences.
Nofence’s virtual fence makes it easy to keep livestock within a specific area. If an animal gets too close to a virtual boundary set up using an app, an electronic collar around its neck emits a sound signal. The animal then receives a small electric shock if it breaks this boundary, which quickly trains it to remain in a predefined area. Norwegian battery specialist Schive was early on the scene as a supplier of battery packs to Nofence, with Mascot joining thereafter as the charger supplier. “These are products that are exposed to rough handling and temperature changes. As a battery supplier, we had experience with tracking applications before, but the Nofence project required additional consideration for the unusual users – the animals,” says Odd-Leif Lien, senior project manager at Schive. Both the battery pack and Mascot’s charger are
Development of battery and charging solutions for electronic collars: these are products that are exposed to rough handling and large temperature changes.
The Nofence virtual “fence” keeps the animals in place.
carefully adapted to the specificity of the application, with the main focus and concern being on the animal’s safety and comfort. “For a price-sensitive product like this one, it may seem obvious to go for a cheap solution. But choosing the right charger is more complex than it seems. A good balance must be struck between price and benefit, without compromising on risk. Our chargers may initially seem expensive, especially in the early design phases. But support, flexibility and the ability to go back to the drawing board during the development process are strong assets in a collaboration, all of which we were committed to provide,” says Jan Fredrik Haugen, R&D department manager at Mascot. The quality of the cells in the batteries
The battery pack from Schive (cattle version) with Nofence charging base and charger from Mascot.
discharged. It is then important to charge the battery gently with a low current, until the battery regains its normal voltage level.” “Products for certain industries demand special attention, with the medical sector arguably top of the list. Devices for use on living beings must meet the same high standards, which our chargers do, both with regards to product safety and to Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC),” emphasizes Haugen. “Extensive testing is important - both for use and abuse. Chargers and batteries can be exposed to large temperature fluctuations and a lot of wear and tear. The collars must hang outside and operate in all kinds of weather, as well as handle shock, water, sweat, heat and cold. And even if the charger is inside an outbuilding, it can be both cold, dusty and damp. The testing must guarantee a long service life despite the harsh environment. In addition to that, the requirements include tests of impact resistance, dust and moisture penetration and more, which are all very relevant in Nofence’s case.”
The inside of the small animal collar, with battery pack.
can also vary. “We only supply batteries from reputable suppliers, and with built-in safety functions,” Lien points out. “All risk factors must be reduced. Among other things, all batteries are tested at our factory, and delivered with full traceability. Quality is something we have a strong focus on,” he comments.
“Mascot develops chargers of high quality and for universal use, but no two applications are the same, and chargers must still be adapted to the need. For example, if you are going to charge often, you should preferably not top-charge or deep-discharge the battery. However, these collars, which are supposed to work for months on pasture, must be as full as possible when they are sent out,” explains Haugen. “And these batteries can be deeply
50 July/August 2023 Components in Electronics
The concept has been well received by farmers and shepherds, who have been actively testing the Nofence concept and have contributed their useful feedback. There has been no shortage of challenges along the way, but these have been resolved in turn with skilled engineers and helpful suppliers. The Nofence collars come in two sizes intended for sheep/goats and cattle, and with two different battery packs of 10 and 20 Ah respectively.
Now, orders are starting to pour in and the company entered into a production agreement with Inission Løkken, worth NOK 70 million (GBP 5.6 million, EUR 6.3 million) over two years. Schive and Mascot have formalised their collaboration with the intention of working more closely together both on sales and marketing, but also on development and projects, such as Nofence.
https://www.mascot.no/ www.cieonline.co.uk.uk
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