Design Challenge and Design Ideas

The equine community faces increasing challenges in monitoring horse health and performance. The current approach of ongoing, intensive monitoring by equine veterinarians, trainers, and owners is highly expensive and often relies on costly hospital settings or specialized lab equipment.

The ability to detect subtle changes in a horse’s biometric data can be vital in identifying early signs of health issues and enabling timely intervention to protect equine well-being. Equimetrics embarked on the mission to develop a device that addresses these pressing needs by providing caregivers with accurate insights and enabling remote monitoring of equine health. The team set out to create a remote monitoring wearable device that could reshape the landscape of equine care.

How the brief was fulfilled

Horses can spend long hours in solitary stables, with limited supervision. One of the initial challenges was to create a product that could remain securely fixed on a horse for extended periods of time while gathering data. Informed by the kinematics of a horse, we meticulously tested multiple prototypes to ensure the wearable device was easy to put on and take off, comfortable for the horse, durable enough to withstand the rugged environment, and, most importantly, capable of gathering accurate and actionable data.

However, this still presented design challenges as the horse’s hair could potentially interfere with sensor readings. To address this, all gaps were eliminated where hair could enter, ensuring the highest signal quality. The choice of materials played a vital role in ensuring comfort and long-term wearability. After numerous trials, it was determined that a combination of soft padding and Gel provided the optimal solution. Additionally, a robust holster for the electronics was integrated to protect against potential impacts such as when a horse bumps into stable doors, gates, cages, or barriers.

Equimetrics V-Pro is a groundbreaking equine monitoring solution, revolutionizing real-time tracking of horse health and behavior. Designed for equine vets, trainers, and owners, the remote monitoring technology ensures continuous, intelligent equine monitoring 24/7, regardless of location.

V-Pro empowers independent veterinarians with ongoing, intensive monitoring beyond traditional hospital settings. The system grants trainers and vets insights into the underlying causes of anomalies, while also facilitating exercise ECG for comprehensive investigations into poor performance.

With embedded ECG electrodes, thorough cardiac investigations are just a touch away. The user-friendly app initiates uninterrupted 24-hour ECG data collection, while the fully wireless solution enables convenient remote streaming.

Equimetrics enables veterinarians to monitor horse health from anywhere, capturing immediate insights on-site while being able to manage other calls. Eliminating uncertainties and concerns, the V-Pro solution is essential for equine veterinarians, trainers, and competitive sportspersons, advancing understanding of horses’ well-being and health for greater success.