The study, operated through the University of Bologna, aims to monitor horse health, to include heart rate, respiration and temperature. The Memorandum of Understanding will guarantee improved data capture and development of the solutions in support of the two year study in collaboration with the University, which aims to show what actions can be taken to improve the well-being and safe transportation of animals.
Earlier this year, CHAMP joined the ATA to exchange and develop a close partnership with experts involved in animal transportation and work on next generation information systems together. The University of Bologna has, in collaboration with members of the ATA, developed an extensive questionnaire and monitored various live transport situations in order to gather large amounts of data for the basis of their study.
For the future study, data will be collected and transmitted via Arioneo’s data logger, recording horse vital signs. This information is communicated to the pilot and groom on their mobile devices with CHAMP’s data communication capabilities. It will provide an information flow and data that allows the tracking and monitoring in real-time the safety and well-being of the animal transported. The application, which is currently used for training and monitoring of the well-being of the horse in normal, on the ground conditions, will allow the crew and groom to take preventative action, where required, thereby making sure that horses are checked at the right time. A full report on each horse will be available after every flight, allowing trainers and owners to learn from the experience and prepare better for the next journey.