If you thought all sheep looked the same, it turns out you would be wrong. In the world of artificial intelligence and machine learning, the differences are so distinct that two Co Limerick brothers, Nick and Jack Cotter from Abbeyfeale, are now hoping to integrate facial recognition into their software, with trials about to begin across the globe, in New Zealand.

The Cotter brothers have received awards for their invention, the Cotter Crate, which reduces the labor involved in drenching lambs. They are set to start trials for the facial recognition software for sheep in New Zealand alongside Beef+Lamb NZ in February.

Their SmartWorm software, validated in trials with UCD, QUB, and Beef+LambNZ, uses data on animal growth, weather conditions, and pasture quality to predict worm treatment with 95% accuracy. They are also launching an automatic drenching gun for sheep in Ireland and the UK, with sustainability benefits.

Nick Cotter will explore technology adoption in the sheep sector as part of his Nuffield scholarship, aiming to enhance productivity and sustainability. The brothers are integrating remote weighing platforms for large farms in Australia and New Zealand that do not tag sheep.

In Europe, eartags for sheep are mandatory, but not in Australia and New Zealand. The brothers are working on facial recognition technology to reduce the cost barrier for using their software, which is a quarter or a fifth of the cost of ear tags.

Using artificial intelligence, they aim to develop algorithms for individual sheep identification based on facial features. The technology can have broader applications, such as lameness detection, flystrike prevention, and mothering up of lambs.

The trial in New Zealand, set to begin in February, will test the facial recognition software and existing technology on farms in both the North and South Islands over a longer period.