{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,29]],"date-time":"2026-05-29T08:39:08Z","timestamp":1780043948256,"version":"3.53.1"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,6,23]],"date-time":"2020-06-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1592870400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in Japan","award":["-"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["-"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Nowadays, for numerous reasons, smart farming systems focus on the use of image processing technologies and 5G communications. In this paper, we propose a tracking system for individual cows using an ear tag visual analysis. By using ear tags, the farmers can track specific data for individual cows such as body condition score, genetic abnormalities, etc. Specifically, a four-digit identification number is used, so that a farm can accommodate up to 9999 cows. In our proposed system, we develop an individual cow tracker to provide effective management with real-time upgrading enforcement. For this purpose, head detection is first carried out to determine the cow\u2019s position in its related camera view. The head detection process incorporates an object detector called You Only Look Once (YOLO) and is then followed by ear tag detection. The steps involved in ear tag recognition are (1) finding the four-digit area, (2) digit segmentation using an image processing technique, and (3) ear tag recognition using a convolutional neural network (CNN) classifier. Finally, a location searching system for an individual cow is established by entering the ID numbers through the application\u2019s user interface. The proposed searching system was confirmed by performing real-time experiments at a feeding station on a farm at Hokkaido prefecture, Japan. In combination with our decision-making process, the proposed system achieved an accuracy of 100% for head detection, and 92.5% for ear tag digit recognition. The results of using our system are very promising in terms of effectiveness.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s20123564","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,6,24]],"date-time":"2020-06-24T08:54:50Z","timestamp":1592988890000},"page":"3564","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":51,"title":["Automatic Cow Location Tracking System Using Ear Tag Visual Analysis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3435-2197","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Thi Thi","family":"Zin","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Graduate School of Engineering, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4724-7954","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Moe Zet","family":"Pwint","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Graduate School of Engineering, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8447-4710","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pann Thinzar","family":"Seint","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Graduate School of Engineering, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shin","family":"Thant","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Graduate School of Engineering, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shuhei","family":"Misawa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Graduate School of Engineering, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kosuke","family":"Sumi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Agriculture and Engineering, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kyohiro","family":"Yoshida","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto 619-0237, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,6,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"519","article-title":"Cattle traceability system in Japan for bovine spongiform encephalopathy","volume":"44","author":"Katsuaki","year":"2008","journal-title":"Vet. 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