About

Wenhome is a technology hardware company that has commercialized sensor-rich connected products  – such as smart pet feeders, waterers and litter boxes which are sold through Amazon and Walmart.  The company has in-house capabilities spanning applied computer vision, embedded firmware and mechanical and hardware design.  Wenhome is looking to expand into livestock monitoring for health, movement, feeding patterns and disease through the use of computer vision and sensors. 

Project

Through this Technology Access Program project, Wehnome will undertake a one-month market and feasibility study to assess whether AI-powered, non-contact poultry health monitoring is a viable direction worth pursuing.  With the support of the CMIT Technology Development Site, Wenhome will engage poultry producers, veterinarians, and industry stakeholders to confirm the most urgent, underserved health-monitoring pain points on commercial broiler and layer farms. The company will review existing research and competing solutions and assess the practical requirements for computer vision combined with environmental and acoustic sensors — covering bird behavior, movement, feeding patterns, and early signs of distress or disease.

Impact

The goal of this project is to determine, within one month, whether this technology addresses a real and economically significant need, and to define the right technical and commercial direction before any build occurs.  If the solution is deemed viable, Wenhome estimates that one to two years post-commercialization they will require up to three new full-time employees to support the product.