Smart Glove: Development and Testing of a Wearable RFID Reader Connected to Mixed Reality Smart Glasses

The evolution of Precision livestock farming has given the possibility to the farmer to obtain a large amount of information. However, to access the database, the operator often is forced to use PC or mobile devices, losing time during on-fields activities. In this context, the use of mixed reality smart glasses (MRSG), such as HoloLens (Microsoft, USA), represents an interesting tool to consult the information in real-time leaving the operator hands-free. The aim of the study was to decrease the technological gap between the animal’s electronic identification to all the information linked to a specific animal. Specifically, the research focused on developing a smart wearable system composed of a prototype, called SmartGlove (SG), capable to link the RFID tag and MRSG, via Bluetooth connection. The MRSG displays all the information related to the animal stored in an online or offline database thanks to the development of a dedicated software. The use of the SG system allows the operator to visualize, monitor, and modify the information related to the animal during on-field activities. From the preliminary experiments, the system shows promising in reducing the required workforce and improving productivity in farm management. The SmartGlove system allow farmers to activate both ear tags and rumen bolus at a distance up to 5 cm, and to visualize animal data in a variable timeframe of 4.3 s for ear tag and 3.8 s for the rumen bolus. Future works will aim to improve the reading capability of the SmartGlove, improving the antenna performances, expand the battery life, and to upgrade the MRSG software.