NTT TechnoCross Wins Grand Prix at the 13th NTT Group Sustainability Conference for 'The Future of Livestock Farming: Advancing Animal Welfare with AI'

NTT TechnoCross Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Atsuko Oka; hereinafter “NTT TechnoCross”) has won the Grand Prix at the “13th NTT Group Sustainability Conference,” an event held to enhance the effectiveness of NTT Group’s mid-term management strategy focused on “creating new value and achieving global sustainability.”

The award was granted for the company’s initiative titled “The Future of Livestock Farming: Advancing Animal Welfare with AI.”

Japan’s livestock industry faces numerous challenges, including labor shortages, an aging workforce, and rising production costs, while striving to produce safe and reliable domestic beef cattle. To address these issues and improve efficiency, NTT TechnoCross is advancing livestock digital transformation (DX) using AI, contributing to sustainable production systems and the future development of the livestock sector.

One key innovation from this initiative is “U-motion®,” a system that visualizes cattle behavior data. By observing animal movements through sensors attached to the cattle, U-motion® monitors and alerts farmers to potential diseases. Utilizing AI to analyze behavioral data enables early detection of health changes and supports timely, appropriate interventions.

“BUJIDAS®” is another breakthrough system that uses AI to analyze cattle posture captured by cameras and emits special sounds to prevent “cattle collapse due to bloat (*1).” By preventing fatal accidents caused by an inability to stand, BUJIDAS® reduces animal distress and burden, enhances cattle safety, and alleviates the workload for farmers and caretakers.

These initiatives—focused on animal welfare (*2), reducing on-site labor, and improving productivity—were selected for the Grand Prix award.

Going forward, NTT TechnoCross will continue to leverage advanced technologies, including AI, to practice animal-friendly animal welfare, support the sustainable supply of livestock products, and contribute to the advancement of the future livestock industry.

□ What is “U-motion”?

U-motion is a service that monitors cattle behavior using sensors attached to the animals. Data collected from multiple sensors embedded in tags are gathered and analyzed in the cloud, enabling real-time, 24/7/365 monitoring of seven key behaviors: feeding, drinking, rumination, movement, standing, lying down, and resting. U-motion is a service provided by Desamis Co., Ltd. (https://www.desamis.co.jp/). NTT TechnoCross is responsible for behavioral data analysis support and tag development. (https://www.ntt-tx.co.jp/products/u-motion/)

□ What is “BUJIDAS”?

BUJIDAS is Japan’s first non-contact service designed to prevent “cattle collapse due to bloat,” a major cause of death in beef cattle just before shipment. Cameras monitor the cattle sheds, and AI detects dangerous postures, triggering alerts to prompt posture correction (patent pending) (*3). Since April 2024, NTT TechnoCross and Bell System 24 (https://www.bell24.co.jp/ja/) have jointly offered this service, enabling reductions in cattle loss costs, labor burden from shed inspections, and personnel costs. (https://www.ntt-tx.co.jp/products/bujidas/)

□ Terminology and Notes

*1: An incident where abnormal gas buildup in a cow’s body compresses the diaphragm, causing breathing difficulties and an inability to stand.

*2: “Animal Welfare” refers to the concept of maintaining animals’ physical and mental well-being and enhancing their quality of life (animal welfare). Raising livestock in comfortable environments reduces stress and disease, ultimately improving productivity and ensuring safer livestock products.

*3: This product does not guarantee 100% prevention of cattle collapse incidents.

* “U-motion” is a registered trademark of Desamis Co., Ltd.

* “BUJIDAS” is a registered trademark of NTT TechnoCross Co., Ltd.

* Product names and company names mentioned are generally trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or organizations.