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algorithms that take into account several other
attributes such as shape, size and so forth.
10 HERDING GLOSSARY
Herding: Controlling and maneuvering the animal
in the desired direction.
Flight Zone:
Also known as the flight distance, is
the area around the animal which when intruded,
causes anxiety in the animal and the responds by
moving away. However, if this area is deeply
penetrated, then the animal panics and flees. Its size
is dynamic and changes depending on several
factors, such as, the behaviour of the herder, weather
conditions, state of excitement of the animal, and so
forth. The animal’s flight zone plays a key-role in
low-stress herding techniques. (Smith, 1998,
Grandin, 1989).
Animal Vision:
Cattle have wide-angle vision and
can see behind themselves without turning their
heads. However, they have a small blind spot of
about 15-30 degrees behind their rears. The handler
avoids staying in the blind-spot area for too long as
it can lead to panic in the animal.
Outrider Position:
The outrider position is “the
position the herder takes on or adjacent to the
boundary of the flight zone.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to Dr. Burt Smith, Dr. Haluk Ozemek and
Dr. Winncy Du for their helpful suggestions on this
paper.
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ActivMedia Robotics, http://robots.activmedia.com
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