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Farm Management Information Systems and Wireless Sensor Networks can help German dairy farmers cope with rising complexity, documentation and animal health requirements. However, review and expert interviews with German farmers show that available solutions mostly are standalone systems. They lack compatibility with other technologies like already existing Information Systems and automation technology in dairy stables (e.g. climate-control, energy management or robotic milking). Farmers and researchers wish for a solution that integrates sensor systems, the control of actuators and existing information systems on dairy farms into one central information- and control-system. Moreover, an option to provide customized user interfaces to different stakeholders is required. This research shows, that a digital broker model as middleware offers manufacturer-independent opportunities to integrate existing information systems, wide arrays of different sensors and data transmission technologies. It further takes care of data management issues. The example of the TUM dairy research farm is shown, where a broker model is being implemented for research and teaching. Results show, that a broker model is a powerful tool to overcome most compatibility and connectivity issues and provides the desired solutions. However special aspects regarding connectivity must be taken into consideration on a dairy farm. Different transmission technologies are needed for different tasks, as a dairy farm offers very diverse conditions for IoT technology implementation. Customized user interfaces can be provided. Research is necessary regarding regulatory issues, and manufacturers need to be won over by the benefits of these systems, so that an integration of their technologies is facilitated.

In consequence of increasing workloads and the pressure to rationalize the workload in combination with increasing quality requirements of consumers, German dairy farms often invest in automation of single production processes. However, these automatic mechatronic systems are limited in their potential. As the more and more intelligent systems are not able to communicate among themselves. In this context, the approach of a cyber-physical system leads to new possibilities of product and process quality. The connection of all/several mechatronic subsystems causes to a more flexible production process which can adjust and optimise the production regarding external influences to the system. This results in an reduction of workload, automatic documentation and traceability of the product during the production process. Risks arise from the system itself. Hence, an appropriate user interface is necessary to control the system. For this, the farmer must be able to define boundaries in which the system can run on its own and where human authorisation is necessary.

Currently there are about 64.000 dairy farmers in Germany, with about 4 million dairy cows (DESTATIS, 2018b). While the number of farmers is decreasing during the last years due to structural changes in agriculture, the amount of cows stays nearly constant so the remaining farms are increasing in size. Nevertheless farm sizes are quite different in German regions so that the majority of farms has a size up to 100 hectare (DESTATIS, 2018a). The digital transformation of agriculture “agriculture 4.0” is in progress. Sensors are not only common in field machinery but also indoors. Automated milking systems or monitoring of air quality aspects are only two of numerous examples. In fact, there are also sensors attached to the animals, or even brought into the torso of it. This review shall have a look at sensor systems on German dairy farms and give information about sensor requirements for a farm. It has to be concluded that for example the IP standards are sufficient for sensor systems in farming houses. Having a look at sensors which are in direct contact to an animal, like rumen boluses or the like, further research has to be done and standardizations have to be implemented, especially due to food safety.