The Cat S61 smartphone from Cat Phones features thermal imaging capability, laser-assisted distance measuring and an indoor air quality monitor. Farmers are finding the ultra-durable, all-in-one tool, with its extended (12+ hours) battery life and in-built accessible technology, is helping them tackle daily challenges to make life on the farm a little easier.
The phone’s rugged qualities mean it is well suited to tough on-farm conditions. It’s built to survive being dropped on concrete or in a wet and muddy field, to handle the dusty conditions of harvest or withstand a power hose-down, with no ill effects, and it can be controlled with wet hands or while wearing gloves.
Farmers and growers report using the inbuilt thermal imaging technology for tasks such as locating hot spots in grain stores, confirming mastitis in dairy cattle, checking for hypothermia in lambs, and on-farm fault-finding such as drafts in sheds, or faulty machinery wiring and radiator leaks or blockages. With winter approaching, the phone may also be a useful tool for locating sheep lost in snow or in the dark.