Abstract:
This paper aims to present the development and validation of a mobile application - titled
Animalcomfort – designed for the Android platform to monitor livestock animals' thermal
comfort situation. The processing was based on calculating the specific enthalpy of the air,
resulting in the animals' comfort situation and the diagnosis based on changes in the
environment. The app was developed considering four main functions, using different input data
sources: open environment (satellite), closed environment (Arduino® sensor), manual
calculation, and forecast for the next seven days (satellite). The software was initially designed
from the users' perspective, using UML notation as documentation. The app development was
conducted following the agile Scrum methodology and programmed in Java. The resulting
product was evaluated by potential users (producers, scientists, and students), revealing desirable
design, terminology, learning, and usability characteristics. In conclusion, Animalcomfort
represented a high potential tool for quick, easy, and affordable management in identifying heat
stress in livestock animals, directly assisting in the decision-making of best alternatives in
productive environmental management. |
