Scan Ear Tags with Just Your iPhone
Built for everyone in the field. An open-source animal welfare tool that empowers digital recordkeeping.
In Collaboration With
PedigreeSync is a farmer-led, open-source initiative to make livestock recordkeeping radically more accessible, affordable, and resilient.
Our near-term goal is to test the viability of using NFC enabled ear tags scanned by iPhones as an alternative to proprietary RFID readers. In collaboration with sheep producers and extension advisors, we're pursuing a USDA SARE grant to begin field testing tags in Spring 2026.
Project Roadmap & Impact
Technical milestones, research and education objectives, to validate NFC ear tags.
Why It Matters
Small-scale producers face real barriers: limited infrastructure, time pressure, and fragmented worksites. We're researching a tool to reduce labor costs and improve welfare.
Phase 1: NFC App & Cloud Infrastructure (Current)
- React Native iOS app with NFC scanning and local record caching
- Supabase backend for secure storage and multi-device syncing
- Offline-first architecture with background sync
- Basic user account and flock management system
Research Objectives
- Prototype NFC ear tag scanning mobile application and data management.
Duration: Months 1–6
Phase 2: Field Validation & Iteration (Spring 2026)
- Deploy on multiple flocks (100+ animals)
- Evaluate scan reliability and tag durability in real-world use
- Incorporate producer feedback into app improvements
- Launch public issue tracker and changelog
Research Objectives
- Field-test the durability and scanability of NFC ear tags across diverse ranch environments.
Duration: Months 1–6 - Quantify labor savings and handling impact by comparing time and contact events before/after adoption.
Duration: Months 3–12 - Assess compatibility and usability across devices and user contexts using surveys and feedback loops.
Duration: Months 6–18
Phase 3: Outreach & Ecosystem Building (2026+)
- Field demo days and regional webinars
- Media kits with instructional content
- Documentation for third-party integration
- Contributor guides for open collaboration
Education Objectives
- Publish documentation, schematics, and code contribution guidelines under a permissive open-source license.
Duration: Months 6–12 - Conduct two outreach events including a field demo and an online webinar.
Duration: Year 2–3 - Release tutorial content including videos, guides, and NFC templates via farm networks.
Duration: Year 2 - Collect and analyze feedback using surveys and interviews to inform future iterations.
Duration: Years 2–3
