title: Lameness Detection in Dairy Cows: Part 2. Use of Sensors to Automatically Register Changes in Locomotion or Behavior.
abstract: Despite the research on opportunities to automatically measure lameness in cattle, lameness detection systems are not widely available commercially and are only used on a few dairy farms. However, farmers need to be aware of the lame cows in their herds in order treat them properly and in a timely fashion. Many papers have focused on the automated measurement of gait or behavioral cow characteristics related to lameness. In order for such automated measurements to be used in a detection system, algorithms to distinguish between non-lame and mildly or severely lame cows need to be developed and validated. Few studies have reached this latter stage of the development process. Also, comparison between the different approaches is impeded by the wide range of practical settings used to measure the gait or behavioral characteristic (e.g., measurements during normal farming routine or during experiments; cows guided or walking at their own speed) and by the different definitions of lame cows. In the majority of the publications, mildly lame cows are included in the non-lame cow group, which limits the possibility of also detecting early lameness cases. In this review, studies that used sensor technology to measure changes in gait or behavior of cows related to lameness are discussed together with practical considerations when conducting lameness research. In addition, other prerequisites for any lameness detection system on farms (e.g., need for early detection, real-time measurements) are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Technology and Food Science Unit, Precision Livestock Farming, Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Burgemeester van Gansberghelaan 115 bus 1, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. annelies.vannuffel@ilvo.vlaanderen.be.
authors.forename: Annelies
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Van Nuffel
authors.affiliation: Technology and Food Science Unit, Precision Livestock Farming, Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Burgemeester van Gansberghelaan 115 bus 1, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. ingrid.zwertvaegher@ilvo.vlaanderen.be.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zwertvaegher
authors.affiliation: Technology and Food Science Unit, Precision Livestock Farming, Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Burgemeester van Gansberghelaan 115 bus 1, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van Weyenberg
authors.affiliation: Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Green Technology, Koetilantie 5, 00790 Helsinki, Finland. matti.pastell@luke.fi.
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pastell
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR 791 Systemic Modelling of Ruminant Nutrition, 16 rue Claude Bernard, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France. vivi.thorup@agroparistech.fr.|AgroParisTech, UMR 791 Systemic Modelling of Ruminant Nutrition, 16 rue Claude Bernard, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France. vivi.thorup@agroparistech.fr.
authors.forename: Vivi M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Thorup
authors.affiliation: Division Measure, Model and Manage BioResponses, Department of Biosystems, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 30 bus 2456, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium. Claudia.bahr@biw.kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bahr
authors.affiliation: Animal Sciences Unit, Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Scheldeweg 68, 9090 Melle, Belgium. bart.sonck@ilvo.vlaanderen.be.|Department of Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium. bart.sonck@ilvo.vlaanderen.be.
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sonck
authors.affiliation: Division Mechatronics, Biostatistics and Sensors (MeBioS), Department of Biosystems, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 30 bus 2456, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium. wouter.saeys@biw.kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Wouter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Saeys
keywords: Lameness; dairy cattle; early detection; on-farm