** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** LAMENESS IN DAIRY CATTLE IS A MAJOR HEALTH AND WELFARE CONCERN, AND PERHAPS ONE OF THE COSTLIEST CLINICAL DISEASES FOR DAIRY OPERATIONS. LAME COWS EXPERIENCE A PROGRESSIVE REDUCTION IN MILK YIELD, BODY WEIGHT, AND FERTILITY THAT LEADS TO HIGHER CULLING RATES AND DECREASED SLAUGHTER VALUE. TIMELY IDENTIFICATION OF LAMENESS IS NECESSARY TO INSTITUTE EARLY TREATMENT, REDUCE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS, AND IMPROVE TREATMENT OUTCOMES. CURRENTLY, DAIRY OPERATIONS RELY ON VISUAL SCORING BY FARM EMPLOYEES TO IDENTIFY LAME COWS IN A HERD FOR SUBSEQUENT TREATMENT, WHICH IS HIGHLY SUBJECTIVE, INEFFICIENT, LABOR-INTENSIVE, AND TIME-CONSUMING. THERE IS NO MOBILE-FRIENDLY, FARM-DEPLOYABLE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY FOR THIS PURPOSE. TO ADDRESS THIS CRITICAL BOTTLENECK, OUR PROJECT GOAL IS TO DEVELOP, DEPLOY, AND DISSEMINATE A SMARTPHONE APP TECHNOLOGY FOR THE AUTOMATED IDENTIFICATION OF CATTLE LAMENESS. THE THREE PROJECT OBJECTIVES ARE: (1) TO REFINE THE DEEP LEARNING MODEL AND INTEGRATE THE SMARTPHONE APP FUNCTIONS, (2) TO DEVELOP EXTENSION ACTIVITIES TO ENGAGE PARTICIPANTS FROM THREE INDUSTRY PARTNERS, AND (3) TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF EXTENSION ACTIVITIES AND MAKE NECESSARY IMPROVEMENTS. THE PROJECT WILL DELIVER AN OBJECTIVE TOOL FOR LAMENESS ASSESSMENT TO ASSIST FARM EMPLOYEES TO IMPROVE THEIR EFFICIENCY OF VISUAL SCORING, WHICH WILL FACILITATE PROMPT TREATMENT FOR LAME ANIMALS, STREAMLINE THE LAMENESS MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES, AND PROMOTE FARM SUSTAINABILITY. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT DEVELOPS A LIGHTWEIGHT, MOBILE-FRIENDLY VIDEO ANALYTICS TECHNOLOGY TO TRACK THE PREVALENCE OF LAMENESS WHILE LEVERAGING THE MASTER HOOF CARE TECHNICIAN PROGRAM TO DISSEMINATE THE TECHNOLOGY TO FARM EMPLOYEES AND IMPROVE THEIR DIGITAL LITERACY IN LAMENESS IDENTIFICATION.