Proof of concept of a wearable IoT-based system for monitoring respiratory rate and surface temperature in horses.
Authors: Farias Brendo Junior Pereira, Furtado Dermeval Araújo, Barbosa do Nascimento José Wallace, Neto José Pinheiro Lopes, de Morais Fabiana Terezinha Leal, Santos Thiago Lira Souza, Vasconcelos Alexandre Sales, Silva Rafael Costa, Alves José Ilton Pereira, Mcmanus Concepta, Silveira Robson Mateus Freitas, Ribeiro Neila Lidiany
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Researchers in Brazil have developed and field-tested a wearable Internet-of-Things device capable of continuously monitoring respiratory rate and coat surface temperature in horses, using a strain gauge and temperature sensor connected to an ESP-32 microcontroller with real-time Wi-Fi data transmission. When compared directly against manual assessment methods under practical field conditions, the wearable system demonstrated excellent agreement for respiratory rate (ICC = 0.85) and very good agreement for surface temperature (ICC = 0.67), with Bland-Altman analysis confirming low bias and narrow limits of agreement for both parameters. These findings are significant because continuous, objective monitoring of respiratory rate and thermal status could enable earlier detection of systemic illness, stress responses, and thermoregulatory problems—particularly valuable during competition, transport, or intensive training when manual observation is impractical or inconsistent. For equine professionals managing welfare and performance, such wearable systems offer potential to move beyond intermittent spot-checks towards genuinely continuous physiological surveillance, though further validation across diverse breeds, age groups, and environmental conditions will be necessary before clinical implementation. The proof-of-concept establishes sufficient technical credibility to justify development towards a commercially viable monitoring platform for veterinary and performance management applications.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •This wearable system offers non-invasive, real-time monitoring of respiratory rate and body temperature—valuable for detecting early signs of illness, stress, or exercise intolerance in working horses
- •The device's field validation against manual methods supports its reliability for practical use, though sample size details suggest this is early-stage technology requiring further validation in larger populations
- •Automated temperature and respiratory monitoring could reduce time spent on manual vital sign assessment while providing continuous data trends, useful for horses in training or rehabilitation programs
Key Findings
- •Wearable IoT system achieved excellent reproducibility for respiratory rate measurement (ICC = 0.85) compared to manual methods
- •Coat surface temperature showed very good reproducibility (ICC = 0.67) with no significant differences from conventional measurement (p > 0.05)
- •Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated low bias and narrow limits of agreement for both measured variables
- •Real-time Wi-Fi data transmission and local SD card storage enable continuous remote monitoring of equine physiological parameters