How machine vision is unlocking new ways to understand and improve animal welfare
AWARE-AI, a new two-year research project led by the Centre for Machine Vision (CMV) at UWE Bristol, bringing together partners from academia and industry to explore how artificial intelligence can recognise and track animal emotions through visual behaviour analysis has been backed by over £1 million in funding, including support from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
With collaborators including SRUC, Zoetis, and Agsenze, AWARE-AI represents a major step forward in how technology can support animal welfare -both on farms and beyond.
A team effort pushing the boundaries of AI and animal welfare
At its core, AWARE-AI is a collaborative effort led by CMV researchers, combining expertise in machine vision, artificial intelligence and animal behaviour.
Together, the team is working to answer a complex challenge: how can we interpret non-verbal emotional signals in animals in a way that is reliable, scalable, and grounded in science?
The answer lies in rethinking how we understand behaviour as something richer than just isolated actions, something more dynamic, and more meaningful.
From pigs to cows: Can AI understand emotion across species?
One of the most ambitious aspects of the project is its cross-species approach.
Focusing on both pigs and cattle, researchers will explore whether AI models trained in one context can translate across different animals and environments. This has huge implications for scalability – moving from species-specific tools to systems that can work more broadly across agriculture and animal care.
If successful, this could lay the foundation for AI systems capable of recognising emotional states across a wide range of animals.
A new way of reading behaviour: Emotion as a ‘language’
AWARE-AI takes a fundamentally different approach to understanding animal behaviour.
Rather than looking at single indicators, such as ear position or movement in isolation, the project treats behaviour more like a language. Instead of words, animals express themselves through patterns of posture, movement, and interaction over time. Rather than relying on existing datasets, the project will work with animals in controlled settings to observe how emotional states change over time.
This shift allows AI to move beyond surface-level signals and begin to interpret behaviour in a more holistic, nuanced way – closer to how humans intuitively understand emotion.
Building on a strong foundation of innovation
The project builds on CMV’s strong track record of applying AI to real-world agricultural challenges. Previous innovations have included developing systems capable of detecting stress in animals, identifying individual livestock within herds, and enabling continuous welfare monitoring through visual data.
AWARE-AI takes this work a step further, shifting the focus from identifying signs of distress to understanding the full emotional landscape of animal behaviour.
Why it matters: Smarter systems, better welfare
The potential impact of this research is significant.
AI-powered monitoring tools could enable:
- earlier detection of changes in animal wellbeing
- more responsive and informed care
- improved welfare standards across agriculture
Beyond farming, the implications extend to animal welfare science, conservation, and any setting where understanding animal behaviour is critical.
Looking ahead
Launching in April 2026 and running for 24 months, AWARE-AI is set to position UWE Bristol and the Centre for Machine Vision at the forefront of research into AI and animal emotion.