April 20, 2015ÑProtequus LLC, an Austin-based biomedical engineering firm, is pleased to announce the late-stage development of NIGHTWATCHª (www.nightwatch24.com), the first and only equine distress & wellness monitor (patent pending).

NIGHTWATCHª is an innovative smart halter/collar designed to continuously analyze real-time data on a horse’s biometrics (ie, vital signs) and behaviors (ie, activities, motions, and posture), and send a wireless notification to a caretaker on their mobile device when abnormalities or novel events indicative of distress are detected. All technology is embedded within the soft leather crown of either a breakaway halter or safety collar making NIGHTWATCHª safe and comfortable for round-the-clock use on horses in stalls, in pastures, and while in transit.

For the first time equine enthusiasts can rest easy knowing their horse is being monitored 24/7. Horse owners, caretakers, and veterinarians alike can gain meaningful insight anytime into a horse’s well-being, including that animal’s Equine Distress Indexª (EDI) score_an objective measure of relative distress, from the convenience of a smartphone or web dashboard. To maximize precision and benefit, proprietary algorithms are continuously being updated as each NIGHTWATCHª halter/collar learns that horse’s unique biometric parameters and behavioral patterns.

NIGHTWATCHª is among a new and growing class of IoT (Internet of Things)-enabled devices, which are devices embedded with electronics, software, and sensors that interoperate within the existing internet infrastructure. The enhanced ability for NIGHTWATCHª to communicate over both cellular and Wi-Fi networks allows for maximum coverage within the United States, while GPS technology tracks and pinpoints the location