Git along little doggies! In the not too distant future, a unique GPS device may help cowboys round up the herd. Now being tested at the government’s Jornada Experimental Range in southern New Mexico, the “Ear-A-Round” uses a GPS device to track and monitor a cow’s location and movements. A remote-controlled wireless headset transmits sounds directly into the cows’ ears, enabling cowboys to direct their movements from a distance. Researchers hope the device will allow ranchers and farmers to herd their cattle from afar, without hitting the dusty trail.

Developed in cooperation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the hat-like GPS device sits atop the cow’s head and is held in place by a “cap” with holes that fit over the cow’s ears. The units are powered by a small solar-energy panel affixed to the top of the rectangular device. About the size small shoebox, the odd looking “caps” make the test cows look like a herd that’s been invaded by Borg.

The purpose of the project is to improve animal distribution on the landscape to prevent overgrazing and animals overrunning sensitive areas. “It has the potential to give farmers a much finer control of pastures, finer management of where animals are and a better use of the land,” said Daniela Rus, MIT professor of electrical engineering and computer science. With the GPS device ranchers will be able to check on their herds by logging onto a computer. They’ll be able to direct them away from overgrazed pastures and into better food areas.

Researchers hope the devices will eventually enable techno cowboys to round up and herd cattle with the sound of their voice. USDA researcher Dean Anderson, a 30-year veteran of remote herding technology, has been working with the test herd, training them to respond to cowboy herding songs. If the project is a success, Anderson envisions a fenceless West with GPS technology keeping herds in a virtual paddock.