Scientists working on behalf of Swine Innovation Porc [SIP] are preparing to test the third generation of more durable sensors designed to track temperatures within swine transport trailers.
As part of research by the University of Saskatchewan, the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, the Prairie Swine Centre and the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute to improve the disinfection of swine transport vehicles, scientists are assessing the resilience of the sensors in the trailers.
The sensors, developed by Transport Genie, track temperatures at various locations within the trailers to ensure disinfection during baking as well as measures related to animal welfare.
Dr. Terry Fonstad, a Professor in the College of Engineering with the University of Saskatchewan, said earlier versions of the sensor weren’t durable. The sensors must be in the hardest to heat places, the data secure, so that both the wash facility and the owner know where it is, and it also guides the trailer wash.
Dr. Fonstad said traceability is so important, so if the trailer must have sensors and power supply, it is simple to add a GPS to know where that sensor is. Next, add humidity and temperature measurement during transport to understand and monitor the animals’ comfort levels.
Transport Genie of Guelph is leading that development on the sensor side with a subcontractor that’s building the sensor. SIP provides third-party testing on those sensors now in the third version. The first two weren’t durable enough for the environment that is in these trailers. Bumps rattle them; hogs are famous for their curiosity and chewing on things so they can wreck a sensor.
He said the sensors are small delicate pieces of electronics that can wiggle loose needing total stability. Washers use harsh chemicals to kill things, and they can take coatings off.
“Yes, we’re on the third version of the sensor now, and we’re going to be testing it to make sure that they’re doing what the industry needs,” said Dr. Fonstad. “I hope field testing of the sensors in trailers can begin by September.”
He said things are moving along, but COVID slowed the field testing but it’s getting back to normal. It’s a challenge when the product goes from research to commercialization, where the private sector sees it as an opportunity and a return on investment to the buyer of that product. The industry adopts the product while researchers step out of the way and move on to something else and let the industry go with it. And so it’s always a challenge, but things are going well. “The results excite us, and what it’s doing for the biosecurity in Canada’s food sector.”
Dr. Fonstad said both controlling diseases, and in terms of animal welfare, these sensors will play a huge role.
With animal welfare such a huge issue, it is essential that those animals aren’t subjected to too much heat or cold.

The humidity plays a part in that because cold and humid or wet and humid and warm are a problem. If one or the other is stressing the animals, the driver sees the data, pulls over makes adjustments by turning on fans, or spraying water, those kinds of things.
“So the truck driver can know he’s treating those animals comfortably in the best possible manner,” he said. “This is important to the shipper who ships those animals, relies on that for his income.”
It is also vital to the processor that’s receiving those animals if stressed; he wants to make sure that they go to a different area so that they can recover.
The other thing is traceability, knowing where that trailer is at all times and its conditions. From a biosecurity standpoint, it’s traceable.
“If you ever have any issue, you can trace exactly where that trailer was at all times,” said Dr. Fonstad.
Another main issue is pathogen control, where 75 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes will inactivate the unwanted pathogens. It’s a matter of using these sensors to help verify this trailer in this location, it went through this wash facility, with GPS coordinates of this bake oven and it hit those parameters, the 75 degrees for 20 minutes.
He said the big thing is the involvement of the industry. It’s a real collaboration between the research sector, the regulatory sector, and the actual animal welfare and the animal production people.
“So it includes everyone from the processors, truckers, producers, to the veterinarians, to the regulatory at the provincial level, to the federal government working together and providing advice as we go,” said Fonstad. •
—By Harry Siemens