Virtual Fences: A Systematic Literature Review

Virtual fencing is a technique for animal control where a physical infrastructure is not needed to implement a fence. Control is achieved by modifying the behavior of the animal by means of one or more sensory signals, which may be auditory and/or electrical. These signals are transmitted to the animal when it tries to cross an electronically constructed boundary. This demarcation can be of any shape that respects geometric properties. While invisible to the naked eye, it is detectable by an electronic device worn by the animal. Due to its potential, this notion of virtual fencing for the management of free-range livestock is attracting growing interest in the literature. First, he advanced ecological management by transforming physical labor into cognitive labor. It is proved that there is a considerable number of methods that rely on stress in the growth of virtual fences, which can be classified in three classes: the first one is interested in virtual fences that focus on auditory stimuli, the second one is the one that depends on electrical stimuli and the third class merges both. These three categories can be divided into two classes: the first class relates to static virtual fences and the second class relates to dynamic virtual fences. The purpose of this work is to first provide an overview of the existing approaches inherent to virtual fences while noting their technical characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. Then, we compare the different virtual fencing approaches and the associated localization/delimitation techniques. Finally, we discuss the remaining challenges for optimal animal control.