COMPETITION SPARKS INNOVATION
EVERY year, the Sheepvention’s inventions competition stimulates the invention, manufacture and display of new items and equipment that will be of benefit to the sheep and wool industry and agriculture in general.
Last year’s winners exemplified those goals, for example Mark Gubbins, Chatsworth, won the District Encouragement Award, for a Rollover Rescue Tracker (RRT) which he said could have saved his nephew’s life. The device can be fitted to all terrain vehicles and other machinery.
“The device can be attached to any moving object that can provide a power source,” he said.
“When the vehicle is inverted it sends a message to any contacts you program into it – family members, friends or neighbours.
“It can use a (mobile) or satellite signal to send the message within eight minutes.”
Mr Gubbins said employees often worked on farms alone. “If isolated people become trapped they can get help sooner,” he said.