May 13, 2025
How We saved cows from the desert heat using Edge AI and thermovision
Starting Point: How to Cool a Desert Farm Without Going Bankrupt
RapidLab was approached by a Client — an international manufacturer of industrial solutions — who was developing a new climate control system for large dairy farms. In countries like Saudi Arabia and Australia, where daytime temperatures exceed 40°C and drop below zero at night, maintaining proper conditions for several thousand cows is a huge challenge.
In the traditional model, all the air conditioning units in the hall run simultaneously, generating enormous energy costs. Our client had an idea:
What if cooling could be activated only in the areas where the cows are at any given moment?
The challenge? A system was needed to count the animals in different hall zones in real time and pass this data to the climate control system.
And that’s exactly the challenge the client brought to us.
Our solution: cameras, embedded vision, and on-demand air conditioning
We designed a solution with the Client using thermal imaging cameras and Edge AI. The system was tasked with detecting the presence of cows in specific zones of the hall in real time and dynamically managing the air conditioning in those areas.
Scope of Work:
Our project covered:
Selection and testing of wide-angle thermal imaging cameras
Preparation and customization of an Edge AI model to operate with a 9-zone image grid
Development of a visualization application for farm staff
Integration with next-generation industrial controllers (software-defined drives), the successors to PLC technology
Configuration of the network and peripheral devices
In the end, we delivered a ready-to-demo system showcasing the technology’s capabilities:
1x thermal imaging camera monitoring 9 zones simultaneously
1x Edge AI unit with a dedicated model for detecting, tracking, and counting cows within these zones
1x Raspberry Pi acting as a simple server hosting the data visualization app
As a result, the Client gained the ability to dynamically manage cooling in the hall based on the actual distribution of animals.
The outcome: a significant reduction in energy consumption and improved animal welfare.
Demo at Hannover Messe 2025
Before the solution was deployed on the farm, the client decided to showcase it to the world. Together with the client, we prepared a model of a hall divided into 9 zones for the Hannover Messe 2025 trade fair. And since there weren’t quite enough cows at the event, the system was adapted to count visitors at the exhibition stand instead.
Our devices counted people in each zone in real time, sent data to the controllers, and activated fans above the respective areas — exactly as the system will operate on an actual farm.
The result?
Over 1,000 visitors in just 2 days
Strong interest in this revolutionary approach to industrial automation
A system running stably and error-free despite constant load
Time for real-world testing
The trade fair prototype will now be installed on a real mega dairy farm, where it will be tested at full scale in live conditions. As a result, the mega farm will reduce its energy consumption, lower its carbon footprint, and improve animal welfare — which in turn will positively impact the quality of the milk produced.
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