Bloomberg reports that Peter Thiel, the founder of PayPal and owner of Palantir, a close partner of the US military, has invested $2 billion in a startup called Halter. Halter is developing smart collars for cows that allow herds of thousands of animals to be remotely controlled.
These collars are solar-powered and “control” the direction of animals using sound and vibration signals. For example, they can be used to create virtual “fences” that cows will not cross, or to give direct instructions to an entire herd.
Additionally, the collars monitor the animals’ health, including digestive data and fertility cycles.
Farmers will be able to access the collars via smartphone. The collars will cost $5-8 per cow per month. The ecosystem is powered by an artificial intelligence model called Cowgorithm.
Bloomberg sent requests for comment, but neither Halter nor Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund responded.
All images courtesy of Halter.
