TOKYO, June 21 — SB Technology Corp., a SoftBank Group Corp. unit based in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward, announced on June 20 that it has started offering a new remote examination service for livestock using smartphones and other devices.
The Animal Look will be introduced at 77 clinics located mainly in Hokkaido to support livestock farmers facing shortage of veterinarians.
The firm will provide systems necessary for veterinarians to conduct medical examinations remotely, including making video calls and managing reservations.
History data such as video recordings of the examinations and drug prescriptions are kept in the cloud system, making it easier for veterinarians to check past examination records when they make house calls.
Livestock farmers can use the LINE messaging app to check the open spots available at nearby clinics and make reservations by typing in what kind of medical examination they need.
Once the reservation is made, they will receive a meeting invite link by email so that they can join the meeting audio.
It is also possible to make a phone call and ask the veterinarian to make a reservation from the screen at the clinic.
A demonstration for remote medical examination was shown to the media on June 20, by connecting Machimura Farm, a livestock farm raising 350 dairy cows in Ebetsu, Hokkaido, with a veterinarian of NOSAI Hokkaido, a local agricultural cooperative, based in the city.
An official of NOSAI Hokkaido holds a tablet at a farm in Ebetsu, Hokkaido, to explain the conditions of dairy cows to a veterinarian via a video call.