£40 sensor detects open gate and warns farmer

A £40 sensor that will alert a farmer through text messaging when a field gate has been left open and livestock are at risk of straying has been developed by a Welsh technology company.

The Dewin Open:Close device taps into long-range wide-area access network (Lorawan) wireless technology, allowing it to operate in rural areas where communications infrastructure often falls short.

See also: Public text alerts to farmers could help animals in danger

The sensor was developed by Anglesey-based dewin.tech in partnership with Rob Shepherd, of EvoMetric, a specialist in data sensor networks.

The device detects when a gate opens and sends a text to a mobile phone via a free app. 

To operate, a Lorawan hub costing up to £1,500 is needed, but this investment can cover a 10km radius with many farms and gates.

Each sensor has a unique identifier, which means only an individual farm is notified if a gate is opened.

Sian Jones with Dewin.tech co-founder Geraint Hughes © Ceidiog Hughes

Trials

The sensor has already been trialled on a beef and sheep farm at Llanrwst, on a gate where there is regular traffic to and from a wind farm site.

As a Farming Connect demonstration farm, a Lorawan gateway hub was already installed on Llion and Sian Jones’ farm at Moelogan Fawr, on the Hiraethog Mountain.

The couple receive a text message when the gate opens or closes – and if it is still open after 20 minutes, a warning will follow this message.

“That happened this week when a maintenance man went up there and left the gate open – we had cattle with calves in the field there and they could easily have escaped down the lane, but we were able to close the gate in time,’’ says Mrs Jones.

“It’s a really good system and gives us peace of mind.”

Dewin.tech was named Welsh mobile and emerging technology start-up of the year in September.