In an effort to redefine modern dairy farming, Scottish Rural Universities (SRUC) has introduced FarmTwin, the world’s first open source digital twin platform designed specifically for the dairy sector.
Developed at the SRUC Dairy Research Center near Dumfries, the innovation represents a major step forward in the use of digital technology to improve efficiency, animal welfare and environmental sustainability in dairy farming.
Supported by Digital Dairy Chain through the UKRI Strength in Places programme, FarmTwin brings together cutting-edge research and real-world agricultural needs.
Combining data science and precision agriculture gives farmers powerful new ways to visualize, analyze, and optimize every aspect of their operations.
A new era of data-driven dairy farming
At the core of FarmTwin is a virtual replica of the entire farm system, from individual cows to barns and milking equipment, powered by real-time data from sensors, telemetry and digital tools.
This digital mirror allows farmers to monitor animal health, productivity and environmental conditions with unparalleled accuracy.
By transforming raw data into actionable insights, FarmTwin supports informed decision-making that improves efficiency and animal welfare.
Smart integration and predictive power
One of Farm-Twin’s most powerful features is its ability to integrate data from multiple sources and display it through an intuitive dashboard.
Farmers can visualize key metrics from milk yield to feed consumption at a glance, allowing them to react quickly to emerging trends.
The platform’s predictive analytics go even further, analyzing performance and health data to detect early signs of illness or reduced productivity before problems escalate.
In some cases, farm twins can also perform automated actions. For example, if a cow shows symptoms of unwellness, the system activates a shedding gate to isolate the cow for treatment while alerting the farmer with detailed diagnostic information.
Combining precision agriculture and open source
Farm-twin brings precision farming to life by creating a real-time digital reflection of farm operations, helping dairy farmers use feed, water and energy resources smarter while reducing waste.
The platform’s open source foundation fosters collaboration across the agritech community and gives farms of all sizes access to advanced digital tools.
Researchers and developers are free to modify and extend FarmTwin to build new integration or analysis models to support evolving technology.
Historical data can also be imported, allowing long-term tracking and simulation to improve forecasting.
Promoting sustainability and global competitiveness
SRUC believes open source innovation is key to advancing sustainable dairy farming around the world.
With FarmTwin, the agency aims to provide farmers with the digital tools and insights they need to thrive in a data-driven agricultural economy.
Professor Wayne Powell, Principal and Chief Executive Officer of SRUC, explained: “With innovations like FarmTwin, we are transforming dairy production systems and positioning the sector as a global leader in sustainable, data-driven agriculture.
“This open source platform supports entrepreneurship, fosters new market opportunities, and equips our workforce with critical digital skills while accelerating our journey towards a more productive, resilient and sustainable future.”
As the dairy industry faces increasing pressure to balance productivity and environmental responsibility, Farm Twin serves as a step in the transformation towards smarter, more sustainable dairy farming.
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