Lameness is one of the top causes of death and performance setbacks in racehorses and sport horses. Not being able to easily and reliably detect early signs of lameness has a negative impact on the animal’s welfare, training and value, and can ratchet up veterinary expenses.
That’s why TrojanTrack is developing an automated, non-invasive solution that uses AI-based video analysis to spot early signs of lameness in horses.
The smartphone-based system tracks 52 different points across the horse’s body as it moves, providing a comprehensive biomechanical analysis without the need for costly lab-based equipment or wearable or invasive sensors.
The technology emerged from TrojanTrack founder and chief executive Stephen O’Dwyer’s biomedical engineering thesis, which focused on using neural networks to analyse human gait.
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“Our real-time assessment gives trainers and veterinarians early warnings of potential issues in racehorses and sport horses, which means they can intervene before injuries escalate,” says O’Dwyer, who won the Young Innovator of the Year award at the 2023 National Ploughing Championships.
“We believe our technology will enhance animal welfare, it will support the economic sustainability of the equine industry by reducing veterinary costs and improving horse performance and it will help to maintain public confidence in equine sports by improving transparency and accountability around horse health and wellbeing.”
