CSIRO System Aims Beyond In-Paddock Livestock Weighing

Why It Matters

Accurate, real‑time animal metrics enable data‑driven decisions, early disease detection and cost‑effective, sustainable herd management, reshaping livestock productivity.

Key Takeaways

• AI-driven 3D imaging estimates liveweight, fleece, disease.
• Non‑invasive, real‑time data linked to animal EID tags.
• Reduces labor and eliminates fleece weight bias in measurements.
• Scalable to cattle and other livestock industries.
• Co‑funded by MLA and Australian Wool Innovation.

Pulse Analysis

Traditional livestock weighing relies on walk‑over scales that demand animal cooperation, manual labor, and often conflate liveweight with fleece weight, limiting the precision of farm‑level decisions. As producers shift toward data‑driven management, the need for continuous, accurate animal metrics has become a critical gap. Real‑time weight and health information can inform nutrition, breeding and early disease interventions, directly impacting profitability and animal welfare.

CSIRO’s new system fuses 3D modelling, sensor fusion and AI to generate a high‑resolution volumetric image of each sheep as it passes beneath the sensor array. Advanced algorithms extract liveweight, fleece weight and health indicators from the image, then automatically associate the data with the animal’s electronic ID tag. This non‑contact approach removes the need for handling, reduces labor costs, and delivers measurements free from fleece bias. The technology leverages edge‑computing advances, allowing complex processing to occur on‑site without reliance on large data centres.

Beyond sheep, the platform’s modular design positions it for rapid adaptation to cattle, goats and other livestock, promising industry‑wide gains in efficiency and sustainability. Backed by Meat & Livestock Australia and Australian Wool Innovation, the project invites producer participation to ensure scalability and real‑world relevance. As precision agriculture matures, such AI‑enabled monitoring tools are poised to become foundational, delivering actionable insights that drive higher yields, lower emissions and stronger market competitiveness.