Danny has his own set of livestock on his farm. For monitoring them he uses a new "smart herding" system. The system enables welfare-friendly confinement of cattle with boundaries drawn entirely by global positioning system (GPS) - existing as a fence line only on a computer, without wires or fixed transmitters. The system builds on the basic principle of an electric fence, except there is no fence. Instead it includes a wireless sensor network containing microcomputers, radios, and sensors, some of which are fitted into cattle neck collars and emit a sound when the animals approach the virtual boundary. If an animal crosses the boundary it will receive a small electric shock - around one fifth of the voltage used in a conventional electric fence - and will learn to avoid the boundary. The electric stimuli and sound signal will both stop if the animal runs past the virtual fence, and will be re-applied when the animal has stopped moving to encourage it to move out of the exclusion zone. Once the boundary is set, the system is fully automated and self-sufficient. Because it includes a wireless sensor network with two-way communication to the collars, Danny can set a new fence line anytime, from the office, as well as continuously monitor where his cattle are located.

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