SMART PASSPORT FOR ANIMALS

Cattle will soon get NFC (near field communication) enabled passports. This way, information such as health status of animals, region they came from will be kept via NFC enabled labels. Lecturers of Izmir University of Economics (IUE) received patents for NFC Ear Tags and NFC Enabled Animal Passport. These two inventions will end the information chaos experienced in animal breeding, and accelerate control process. 

NFC Enabled Animal Passport invention by Asst. Prof. Dr. Ufuk Çelikkan, Asst. Prof. Dr. Kaan Kurtel, Lecturers of IUE Department of Software Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, and Burak Yanığlı, junior students also from the same department, along with Dr. Ertan Demirkan, Lecturer, IUE Department of Industrial Design, will allow all information about the cattle to be installed on the label. People, will then be able to monitor the information and make necessary changes instantly via mobile equipment with NFC technology.

The second invention by Asst. Prof. Dr. Çelikkan, Asst. Prof. Dr. Kurtel, Dr. Demirkan, and Burak Yanığlı, brought a newer and more practical design to NFC Animal Ear Tags. Information regarding the animal will be easily stored in ear tag via NFC enabled label.  Both inventions were patented by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Institute.  

‘Health under control’

Asst. Prof. Dr. Ufuk Çelikkan gave information about the inventions. He said, “Checking up on information and health status of especially the cattle was time consuming. Information about the animal is being transferred to NFC enabled label with the system we developed. The owner or the caretaker is being able to access the information via mobile equipment with NFC technology. The system allows access to health information or other information about the animal kept in the central database via mobile application. Information such as follow up of the animal, its origin, where it came from, or data entered by the vet is kept in this label, and new information is transferred instantly.”

‘Animals won’t get lost anymore’

Asst. Prof. Dr. Çelikkan, who reported that the other invention was easily removable NFC Ear Tag, stated the following:

“Typically, the ear tag included the number issued for the animal. We invented a NFC ear tag that includes current information about the animal. The NFC chip in the tag can be replaced with newly developed labels. This makes ear tag to be different from the current ones. This ear tag can also be used for pets, small cattle, or zoo animals. We believe it will be useful to use for zoo animals regarding their health, feeding time, and care. If the animal gets lost, you have an immediate access with mobile equipment with NFC technology, and find the animal quickly. Especially during the feast of the sacrifice and quarantine period, both inventions will become handy for breeders.”