The cows connected to the internet

A farm in Essex has begun connecting its cows to the internet so the farmer can detect when they become ill.

The Cow Tracking Project uses data collected from radio positioning tags to monitor the herd's behaviour.

If an animal starts acting differently the farmer can locate it to make sure it has not become lame or picked up an infection.

It is the first time the technology has been used on a dairy herd in the UK and it could change the way farmers look after their animals.

The manufacturers say the technology could also be used in the future in the healthcare sector, to monitor the movement and routines of elderly people.

Find out more: Peter Day reports for In Business on the Internet of Things, on BBC Radio 4 at 20:30 BST on Thursday 12 September.