Cattle evaluation device and cattle evaluation method

Abstract

To provide an evaluation device of cattle which is applicable to a variety of farm sites.SOLUTION: An evaluation device 100 of cattle: acquires a two-dimensional image 50 of cattle in a standing position taken from approximately straight behind; extracts a contour line 60 of the cattle from the image 50; determines straight lines 210, 212 along second curve parts 64a, 64b extending toward a side opposite to first curve part 63a, 63b extending from apexes 62a, 62b being approximately central points on the contour line 60 of two convex parts 61a, 61b existing in left and right sides of an upper part of the contour line 60 toward a side of the other convex part; calculates angles ζ1, ζ2 formed between the determined straight lines 210, 212 and a reference straight line 220 extending in a direction in alignment of the convex parts 61a, 61b, and evaluates a degree of fleshiness of the cattle from a value obtained from the calculated angles ζ1, ζ2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cattle evaluation device and a cattle evaluation method. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to evaluate the energy balance in the feeding management of cattle, the state of body fat (fleshiness) of cattle is evaluated. One index showing the state of body fat is the body condition score. Normally, the body condition score is judged by veterinarians or dairy experts, but because the judgement is made by humans, the judgment criteria become vague and the judgment varies. Meanwhile, there are known methods for evaluating a score indicating the body condition based on a three-dimensional image of an animal (e.g., Patent Document 1) and a method for evaluating a score indicating the body condition based on a two-dimensional image of an animal (e.g., Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2012-510278 [Patent Document 2] European Patent No. 2027770 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The evaluation method described in Patent Document 1 uses a three-dimensional image of the animal to calculate a score indicating the physical condition, so it is necessary to take images at a specific location where large-scale equipment is installed, and it is difficult to apply it to a variety of breeding sites. The evaluation method described in Patent Document 2 uses a two-dimensional image of the animal, but since it uses a two-dimensional image of the animal taken from above, it is necessary to take images at a specific location where equipment that can take images of the animal from above is installed, and like Patent Document 1, it is difficult to apply it to a variety of breeding sites.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to provide a cattle evaluation device and a cattle evaluation method that can be applied to a variety of breeding sites. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The cow evaluation device of the present invention comprises an image acquisition unit that acquires a two-dimensional image of a cow in an upright position taken from approximately directly behind or approximately directly in front of it; an extraction unit that extracts the contour line of the cow from the captured image; a determination unit that determines a straight line along a first curved line extending from approximately the center point on the contour line of at least one of two peaks existing on both the left and right sides of the upper part of the contour line to the other peak side and a second curved line extending on the opposite side to the first curved line; a calculation unit that calculates the angle between the determined straight line and a reference line that extends in the direction in which the two peaks are aligned; and an evaluation unit that evaluates the fleshiness of the cow from the calculated angle or a value obtained from the angle. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a cattle evaluation device and a cattle evaluation method that can be applied to a variety of breeding sites. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a cattle evaluation device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the control unit. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an image acquired by the image acquisition unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the process executed by the extraction unit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the process executed by the determination unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the process executed by the calculation unit. [Figure 7]Figures 7(a) to 7(c) are images of cows with different body masses. [Figure 8] 8(a) and 8(b) are diagrams showing the relationship between the thickness of a cow and the angles ζ1, ζ2 formed between the straight line along the second curved portion of the peak and the reference line. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the results of an experiment investigating the correlation between the body condition score and the average values ​​of the angles ζ1 and ζ2. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the cow evaluation device according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for evaluating beef meatiness in an embodiment. [Figure 12] 12(a) and 12(b) are diagrams (part 1) for explaining another method for determining a straight line along the second curved portion of the mountain portion. [Figure 13] 13(a) and 13(b) are diagrams (part 2) for explaining another method for determining a straight line along the second curved portion of the mountain portion. [Figure 14] 14(a) to 14(c) are diagrams showing other examples of the reference straight line. [Figure 15] FIG. 15(a) is an image of a cow in an upright position captured from substantially directly behind, and FIG. 15(b) is an image of the cow in FIG. 15(a) captured from substantially the front. [Figure 16] FIGS. 16(a) and 16(b) are images in which the contour lines of the cow are extracted from the captured images of FIGS. 15(a) and 15(b). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] <<Embodiment>> A cow evaluation device 100 according to an embodiment will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 14. Fig. 1 shows in a block diagram the configuration of the cow evaluation device 100 according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 shows in a block diagram the functional configuration of a control unit 22. In this embodiment, the evaluation device 100 is a portable information device carried and used by an operator. Examples of portable information devices include smartphones, tablet computers, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), and smart glasses. The evaluation device 100 has, for example, a telephone function, an email function, a communication function for connecting to the Internet, and a data processing function for executing a program.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, the evaluation device 100 includes a display unit 12, an operation unit 14, a communication unit 16, an imaging unit 18, a storage unit 20, and a control unit 22.

[0011] The display unit 12 is a display device that displays images, various information, and images for operation input such as touch operation buttons.

[0012] The operation unit 14 is a device such as a touch panel or a switch. The touch panel accepts information input in response to a worker's touch and transmits the accepted information to the control unit 22. The touch panel is incorporated in, for example, the display unit 12. Therefore, the touch panel accepts various information inputs in response to the worker's touch on the surface of the display unit 12. The switch is an operating member that accepts an operation on the evaluation device 100 from the worker and transmits the accepted information to the control unit 22.

[0013] The communication unit 16 is a communication interface that performs short-range wireless communication (e.g., NFC (Near Field Communication)) with other devices, and wireless communication (e.g., communication using a mobile phone line or a wireless LAN (Local Area Network)) with other devices connected to the network.

[0014] The imaging unit 18 is a device that captures images such as still images and videos. The imaging unit 18 captures images in response to an operator carrying the evaluation device 100 operating the operation unit 14. When evaluating the fleshiness of a cow, the operator uses the imaging unit 18 to capture an image of the cow in a standing position from approximately directly behind. Capturing an image from approximately directly behind means capturing an image in a range that captures the outline of the cow's left and right hip angles. Therefore, the operator captures an image from a position several meters (e.g., 1 m to 2 m) behind the cow so that the outline of the cow's left and right hip angles can be captured.

[0015] The memory unit 20 stores various information such as captured images of the cow, extracted images of the cow's contour lines, and evaluation results of the cow's body fatness.

[0016] The control unit 22 is a processing unit that controls each unit of the cow evaluation device 100. As shown in Fig. 2, the control unit 22 has an image acquisition unit 30, an extraction unit 32, a determination unit 38, a calculation unit 34, and an evaluation unit 36.

[0017] FIG. 3 shows an example of an image acquired by the image acquisition unit 30. As shown in FIG. 3, the image acquisition unit 30 acquires an image 50 of, for example, a cow in an upright position, captured from approximately directly behind the cow. The image 50 of the cow to be acquired may be an image captured by the imaging unit 18, or an image captured by another device and received by the communication unit 16. The image 50 of the cow to be acquired may be an image selected by the operator using the operation unit 14 from among those stored in the storage unit 20. The image acquisition unit 30 may display the acquired image 50 of the cow on the display unit 12. This allows the operator to visually recognize on the display unit 12 the cow to be evaluated for fleshiness.

[0018] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the process executed by the extraction unit 32. As shown in FIG. 4, the extraction unit 32 extracts a contour line 60 that traces the outline of the cow from the captured image 50 of the cow acquired by the image acquisition unit 30. A generally known image processing technique can be used for the extraction of the contour line 60. The extraction unit 32 may display an extracted image 51 that shows only the extracted contour line 60 of the cow on the display unit 12. This allows the operator to visually recognize on the display unit 12 the outline of the cow whose fleshiness is to be evaluated. The outer shape of the extracted image 51 is the same as that of the captured image 50, and the position of the cow relative to the frame of the image is the same in the extracted image 51 and the captured image 50.

[0019] There are peaks 61a and 61b on both the left and right sides of the upper part of the contour line 60. The peaks 61a and 61b correspond to the cow's hip angles. The peak 61a has a vertex 62a at the approximate center of the peak 61a on the contour line 60, a first curved portion 63a extending from the vertex 62a to the upper center of the contour line 60 (the cow's spine side), and a second curved portion 64a extending from the vertex 62a to the lower side of the contour line 60 (the cow's belly side). Similarly, the peak 61b has a vertex 62b at the approximate center of the peak 61b on the contour line 60, a first curved portion 63b extending from the vertex 62b to the upper center of the contour line 60 (the cow's spine side), and a second curved portion 64b extending from the vertex 62b to the lower side of the contour line 60 (the cow's belly side). The first curved portions 63a, 63b can be considered to be curved portions extending from approximately the center point (vertices 62a, 62b) on the contour line 60 of the peaks 61a, 61b to the other peak side (the cow's spine side). The second curved portions 64a, 64b can be considered to be curved portions extending from approximately the center point (vertices 62a, 62b) on the contour line 60 of the peaks 61a, 61b to the opposite side to the first curved portions 63a, 63b.

[0020] The apex 62a of the mountain 61a and the apex 62b of the mountain 61b can be specified by the following method. For example, an inclined straight line 55 inclined from the top to the bottom left in the extracted image 51 is moved from the upper left end point 52 of the extracted image 51 toward the contour line 60, and the point where the inclined straight line 55 first touches the contour line 60 can be specified as the apex 62a of the mountain 61a located on the left side. Similarly, an inclined straight line 56 inclined from the top to the bottom right in the extracted image 51 is moved from the upper right end point 54 of the extracted image 51 toward the contour line 60, and the point where the inclined straight line 56 first touches the contour line 60 can be specified as the apex 62b of the mountain 61b located on the right side. The inclined straight lines 55 and 56 are preferably inclined at an angle of, for example, 30° to 60° from the horizontal line in the extracted image 51, more preferably at an angle of 40° to 50°, and even more preferably at an angle of 45°.

[0021] The apex 62a of the mountain portion 61a and the apex 62b of the mountain portion 61b may be specified by other methods without being limited to the above-mentioned method. For example, in the extracted image 51, an inclined straight line 55a inclined at a first predetermined angle from the top to the bottom left is moved from the upper left end point 52 toward the contour line 60 to specify a first point where the inclined straight line 55a first touches the contour line 60, and an inclined straight line 55b inclined at a second predetermined angle is moved from the upper left end point 52 toward the contour line 60 to specify a second point where the inclined straight line 55b first touches the contour line 60, and a point on the contour line 60 that is approximately in the middle between the first point and the second point is specified as the apex 62a of the mountain portion 61a. Similarly, an inclined straight line 56a inclined at a third predetermined angle from top to bottom right in the extracted image 51 may be moved from the upper right end point 54 toward the contour line 60 to identify a third point where the straight line 56a first touches the contour line 60, and an inclined straight line 56b inclined at a fourth predetermined angle may be moved from the upper right end point 54 toward the contour line 60 to identify a fourth point where the straight line 56b first touches the contour line 60, and a point located approximately in the middle between the third point and the fourth point on the contour line 60 may be identified as the apex 62b of the mountain portion 61b. The first and third predetermined angles are preferably set to 15° to 30° from the horizontal line in the extracted image 51, and the second and fourth predetermined angles are preferably set to 60° to 75° from the horizontal line in the extracted image 51.

[0022] Also, for example, the extracted image 51 may be converted into an XY coordinate system, and the vertices 62a, 62b of the two peaks 61a, 61b may be identified from the X and Y coordinates of each pixel of the extracted image 51. For example, the point on the contour 60 that is the shortest distance from the upper left end point 52 of the extracted image 51 may be set as the vertex 62a of the peak 61a, and the point on the contour 60 that is the shortest distance from the upper right end point 54 of the extracted image 51 may be set as the vertex 62b of the peak 61b.

[0023] Alternatively, the apex of either the mountain portion 61a or the mountain portion 61b may be specified by any of the above methods, and the point where the horizontal line in the extracted image 51 passing through the specified apex intersects with the contour line 60 of the other mountain portion may be specified as the apex of the other mountain portion. Note that the apex 62a of the mountain portion 61a and the apex 62b of the mountain portion 61b may be specified by a method other than the above methods. Note that the ranges of the mountain portions 61a and 61b can be specified by various methods. For example, the range of the mountain portion 61a can be the range of the contour line 60 contained in a circle having a predetermined radius centered on the apex 62a of the mountain portion 61a. The predetermined radius can be, for example, a value obtained by multiplying the distance between the apex 62a of the mountain portion 61a and the uppermost point 91 located at the uppermost side of the contour line 60 by a predetermined value (for example, 0.5), but may be a value obtained by other methods. Note that the range of the mountain portion 61a may be a range of a predetermined length on both sides from the apex 62a of the mountain portion 61a. The predetermined length may be, for example, the length of the predetermined radius, or may be a length obtained by multiplying the entire length of the contour line 60 by a predetermined value. The same applies to the peak portion 61b. The range of the peak portions 61a and 61b may be determined by machine learning or the like.

[0024] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the process executed by the determination unit 38. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the upper part of the contour line 60, and is illustrated diagrammatically for clarity (the same applies to the following similar figures). The determination unit 38 determines a straight line 210 along the second curved portion 64a of the peak portion 61a and a straight line 212 along the second curved portion 64b of the peak portion 61b from the peak portions 61a and 61b present on both the left and right sides of the upper part of the contour line 60. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the determination unit 38 specifies an angle α1 between a first tangent 66a at a first point on the first curved portion 63a of the peak portion 61a and a second tangent 68a at a second point on the second curved portion 64a (the angle of the angle between the first tangent 66a and the second tangent 68a facing the vertex 62a). The determination unit 38 also determines an angle α2 between a first tangent 66b at a third point on the first curved portion 63a and a second tangent 68b at a fourth point on the second curved portion 64a. The determination unit 38 also determines an angle α3 between a first tangent 66c at a fifth point on the first curved portion 63a and a second tangent 68c at a sixth point on the second curved portion 64a. In this manner, the determination unit 38 determines a plurality of angles between a first tangent at a point on the first curved portion 63a and a second tangent at a point on the second curved portion 64a, with different combinations between the plurality of first tangents of the first curved portion 63a and the plurality of second tangents of the second curved portion 64a.

[0025] A plurality of tangents can be generated to the mountain portion 61a, and the angle between the first tangent at a point on the first curved portion 63a and the second tangent at a point on the second curved portion 64a also varies. The smallest angle among such angles reflects the degree of inclination of the mountain portion 61a well. Therefore, the determination unit 38 determines the first tangent 66c and the second tangent 68c that form the smallest angle (e.g., α3 in FIG. 5) among the identified angles α1, α2, α3, ..., and determines the second tangent 68c as the straight line 210 along the second curved portion 64a.

[0026] Similarly, for the mountain portion 61b, the determination unit 38 determines a plurality of angles formed by a first tangent at a point on the first curved portion 63b and a second tangent at a point on the second curved portion 64b, by varying the combinations between the plurality of first tangents to the first curved portion 63b and the plurality of second tangents to the second curved portion 64b, thereby determining a plurality of angles β1, β2, β3, .... The determination unit 38 determines the first tangent 67c and the second tangent 69c that form the smallest angle (for example, β3 in FIG. 5) among the determined angles β1, β2, β3, ..., and determines the second tangent 69c as the straight line 212 along the second curved portion 64b.

[0027] There is no particular limit to the number of angles formed by the first tangent at a point on the first curved portion 63a, 63b and the second tangent at a point on the second curved portion 64a, 64b. However, in order to determine a straight line along the second curved portion 64a, 64b that satisfactorily reflects the degree of inclination of the mountain portion 61a, 61b, it is preferable to vary the combination of the first tangent and the second tangent and to increase the number of angles to be specified as much as possible. The determination unit 38 may set points at a predetermined interval on each of the first curved portion 63a, 63b and the second curved portion 64a, 64b, and set the straight lines connecting the pixels corresponding to the adjacent points as the first tangent and the second tangent for the number of combinations of adjacent points, and specify the angles formed by the first tangent and the second tangent for the number of combinations of the first tangent and the second tangent that have been executed.

[0028] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the process executed by the calculation unit 34. As shown in FIG. 6, the calculation unit 34 specifies a straight line passing through the point 222a located at the top of the peak 61a in the extracted image 51 and the point 222b located at the top of the peak 61b in the extracted image 51 as the reference straight line 220. The points 222a and 222b may be specified, for example, by moving a horizontal line in the extracted image 51 closer to the contour line 60 from above, and specifying the points where the horizontal line first touches the peaks 61a and 61b as the points 222a and 222b. The points 222a and 222b may also be specified by other methods, for example, by converting the extracted image 51 into an XY coordinate system and specifying the points 222a and 222b from the X and Y coordinates of each pixel of the extracted image 51, or by specifying the points of the peaks 61a and 61b that are the shortest distance from the upper edge of the extracted image 51 as the points 222a and 222b.

[0029] The calculation unit 34 calculates an angle ζ1 between a straight line 210 along the second curved portion 64a of the mountain portion 61a and the reference line 220. The calculation unit 34 also calculates an angle ζ2 between a straight line 212 along the second curved portion 64b of the mountain portion 61b and the reference line 220. The angle ζ1 is, for example, the angle of an angle facing the mountain portion 61a among a plurality of angles formed by the intersection of the straight line 210 and the reference line 220, and the angle ζ2 is, for example, the angle of an angle facing the mountain portion 61b among a plurality of angles formed by the intersection of the straight line 212 and the reference line 220. The angle ζ1 calculated by the calculation unit 34 is an index value indicating the degree of inclination of the mountain portion 61a, and the angle ζ2 is an index value indicating the degree of inclination of the mountain portion 61b.

[0030] The evaluation unit 36 ​​evaluates the fleshiness of the cow captured in the captured image 50 from the average value of the angles ζ1 and ζ2 calculated by the calculation unit 34. As the fleshiness, for example, the body condition score is evaluated.

[0031] Here, the relationship between the angles ζ1, ζ2 calculated by calculation unit 34 and the body condition score will be described. The body condition score is an index showing the state of body fat and may be given a score of, for example, 1.00 to 5.00, with a higher value indicating better fleshiness.

[0032] 7(a) to 7(c) are images 50 of cows with different levels of fleshiness. FIG. 7(a) is an image 50 of a cow with poor fleshiness, FIG. 7(b) is an image 50 of a cow that is more fleshy than the cow in FIG. 7(a), and FIG. 7(c) is an image 50 of a cow that is even more fleshy. The cow in FIG. 7(a) was given a body condition score of 2.25 by an expert. The cow in FIG. 7(b) was given a score of 3.00, and the cow in FIG. 7(c) was given a score of 4.00. As shown in FIG. 7(a) to FIG. 7(c), it can be seen that the fleshiness around the hip angle changes due to differences in fleshiness (i.e., different body condition scores), and the shape of the hip angle when the cow is viewed from directly behind in a standing position is different.

[0033] 8(a) and 8(b) are diagrams showing the relationship between the beefiness of a cow and the angles ζ1 and ζ2 between the straight lines 210 and 212 along the second curved portions 64a and 64b of the crests 61a and 61b and the reference line 220. FIG. 8(b) shows the contour line 60 of a cow that is beefier than the cow in FIG. 8(a). As shown in FIG. 8(a) and FIG. 8(b), the beefier the cow, the more rounded the crests 61a and 61b, which are the portions corresponding to the waist angle, become, and the angles ζ1 and ζ2 between the straight lines 210 and 212 and the reference line 220 become larger. From this, it is considered that the beefiness of a cow can be evaluated by determining the angles ζ1 and ζ2.

[0034] [experiment] An experiment was conducted to investigate the correlation between the body condition score evaluated by a veterinarian or other expert and the average value ((ζ1+ζ2) / 2) of the angles ζ1, ζ2 between the straight lines 210, 212 along the second curved portions 64a, 64b of the peaks 61a, 61b and the reference line 220. The experiment was conducted on dairy cows (Holstein breed).

[0035] Figure 9 shows the results of an experiment investigating the correlation between body condition score and the average values ​​of angles ζ1 and ζ2. The horizontal axis (x-axis) of Figure 9 is the body condition score evaluated by experts, and the vertical axis (y-axis) is the average values ​​of angles ζ1 and ζ2. The multiple black circles in Figure 9 represent each of the dairy cows tested, and the dotted straight line is the approximation line (regression line). As shown in Figure 9, the higher the average values ​​of angles ζ1 and ζ2, the higher the body condition score. The approximation line was found to be y = 10.652x + 52.277, and the coefficient of determination R 2 The mean correlation coefficient for the body condition score was 0.766. This confirmed that there was a strong correlation between the body condition score and the average values ​​of angles ζ1 and ζ2.

[0036] As such, since there is a strong correlation between the body condition score and the average value of angles ζ1 and ζ2, it can be seen that the beefiness of a cow can be accurately evaluated by evaluation unit 36 ​​evaluating it from angles ζ1 and ζ2. Evaluation unit 36 ​​evaluates the body condition score from angles ζ1 and ζ2, for example, using score information stored in memory unit 20 that associates angles with body condition scores.

[0037] Table 1 shows an example of score information stored in storage unit 20. As shown in Table 1, in the score information, angles and body condition scores are associated with each other. For example, when the angle is less than a°, the body condition score is 1.00, and when the angle is equal to or greater than a° and less than b°, the body condition score is 1.50. Note that, although Table 1 shows an example in which the body condition score is in increments of 0.5, other increments are also acceptable. For example, increments of 0.25 are acceptable, or increments of 0.25 are acceptable between 2.00 and 4.00, and increments of 0.50 are acceptable elsewhere. [Table 1]

[0038] The score information stored in storage unit 20 may be other than the score information shown in Table 1, as long as it is information that associates angles with body condition scores. For example, a linear function (y=ax+b) such as the approximated straight line shown in Fig. 9 may be stored in storage unit 20 as score information. In this case, the body condition score may be evaluated by performing fractional processing such as rounding off, rounding up, or rounding down on the value of x obtained by substituting the angle for y.

[0039] Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a cow evaluation device 100 according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 10, the cow evaluation device 100 has a storage device 70, a memory 71, a processor 72, a communication interface 73, an input device 74, a display device 75, and an imaging device 76. These components are connected to each other by a bus 77.

[0040] The storage device 70 is a non-volatile semiconductor memory such as a flash memory, and stores a cow evaluation program 78 .

[0041] The memory 71 is hardware that temporarily stores data, such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), etc. The storage unit 20 in FIG.

[0042] The processor 72 is hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that controls each part of the cow evaluation device 100. The processor 72 executes a cow evaluation program 78 in cooperation with the memory 71. In this way, the memory 71 and the processor 72 cooperate to execute the cow evaluation program 78, thereby realizing each function of the control unit 22 in Fig. 2.

[0043] The communication interface 73 is hardware for enabling the cow evaluation device 100 to perform short-range wireless communication or wireless communication via a network with other devices. The communication interface 73 realizes the communication unit 16 in FIG.

[0044] The input device 74 is an input device such as a touch panel or a switch that enables an operator to operate the cattle evaluation device 100. The input device 74 realizes the operation unit 14 in FIG.

[0045] The display device 75 is hardware for realizing the display unit 12 in FIG. 1, and is a display device such as a liquid crystal display for displaying the captured image 50 of the cow, the extracted image 51, the evaluation results of the beefiness of the cow, etc.

[0046] The imaging device 76 is hardware for realizing the imaging unit 18 in FIG. 1, and includes a lens, an imaging element, and the like.

[0047] Next, an example of a method for evaluating beef meatiness in an embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 11. The process in Fig. 11 is executed by the control unit 22 of the evaluation device 100. It is assumed that the storage unit 20 stores score information such as that shown in Table 1, for example.

[0048] 11, first, in step S10, the image acquisition section 30 of the control section 22 waits until the start of the cow evaluation program 78. In this case, the process proceeds to step S12 when the control section 22 starts the cow evaluation program 78 in response to an operation by an operator (for example, an input operation to the operation section 14 or a voice input to a microphone (not shown)).

[0049] When the process proceeds to step S12, the image acquisition unit 30 acquires an image 50 of the cow to be evaluated for meatiness (see FIG. 3). The image 50 of the cow is an image of the cow in an upright position captured from almost directly behind. The image acquisition unit 30 acquires, for example, an image of the cow captured by the operator using the imaging unit 18. The image acquisition unit 30 may acquire an image of the cow received from another device via the communication unit 16, or an image of the cow selected by the operator by operating the operation unit 14 from among a plurality of images of the cow stored in the storage unit 20. The image acquisition unit 30 may start a camera function so that the operator can capture an image of the cow using the imaging unit 18 after the cow evaluation program 78 is started. When the operator captures an image of the cow using the imaging unit 18, the image of the captured cow and a selection button asking whether or not to select this captured image may be displayed on the display unit 12, and if the operator chooses not to select the image, the camera function may be started again.

[0050] In step S14, the extraction unit 32 of the control unit 22 extracts a contour line 60 that traces the outline of the cow from the captured image 50 of the cow acquired in step S12 (see FIG. 4). This generates an extracted image 51 showing the cow's contour line 60. When extracting the contour line 60, the extraction unit 32 may perform a process of removing background other than the cow in the captured image 50 in order to extract the contour line 60 with good accuracy.

[0051] Next, in step S16, the determination unit 38 of the control unit 22 determines straight lines 210, 212 along the second curved portions 64a, 64b of the two peaks 61a, 61b present on both the left and right sides of the upper portion of the contour line 60. In this embodiment, the determination unit 38 specifies a plurality of angles formed by a first tangent at a point on the first curved portion 63a and a second tangent at a point on the second curved portion 64a in the peak 61a, with different combinations between the plurality of first tangents to the first curved portion 63a and the plurality of second tangents to the second curved portion 64a. Then, the determination unit 38 specifies the first tangent 66c and the second tangent 68c that form the smallest angle among the specified plurality of angles α1, α2, α3, ..., and determines the second tangent 68c as the straight line 210 along the second curved portion 64a (see FIG. 5). Similarly, in the mountain portion 61b, a plurality of angles formed by a first tangent at a point on the first curved portion 63b and a second tangent at a point on the second curved portion 64b are identified by varying the combinations between the plurality of first tangents to the first curved portion 63b and the plurality of second tangents to the second curved portion 64b. Then, a first tangent 67c and a second tangent 69c that form the smallest angle among the plurality of identified angles β1, β2, β3, ... are identified, and the second tangent 69c is determined to be a straight line 212 along the second curved portion 64b (see FIG. 5).

[0052] Next, in step S18, the calculation unit 34 of the control unit 22 calculates the angle ζ1 between the straight line 210 determined in step S16 and a reference straight line 220 passing through the points 222a and 222b located at the uppermost positions in the extracted image 51 of the peaks 61a and 61b (see FIG. 6). The calculation unit 34 also calculates the angle ζ2 between the straight line 212 determined in step S16 and the reference straight line 220 (see FIG. 6).

[0053] Next, in step S20, the evaluation unit 36 ​​of the control unit 22 evaluates the body condition score of the cow transferred to the captured image 50 based on the average value of angles ζ1 and ζ2 calculated in step S18 and score information such as Table 1 stored in the memory unit 20.

[0054] Next, in step S22, the evaluation unit 36 ​​displays the body condition score evaluated in step S20 on the display unit 12 and stores it in the memory unit 20. For example, the evaluation unit 36 ​​may display the body condition score on the display unit 12 together with the captured image 50 of the cow. The evaluation unit 36 ​​may also store in the memory unit 20 individual identification information, such as the individual identification number of the cow, input by the worker operating the operation unit 14, in association with the evaluated body condition score. Note that the evaluation unit 36 ​​is not limited to acquiring individual identification information input by the worker operating the operation unit 14, but may also acquire individual identification information from an image captured by the imaging unit 18 of an image of an identification tag attached to the body of the cow, or may acquire individual identification information by using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology and having the communication unit 16 receive the individual identification information from an RF tag attached to the body of the cow. Alternatively, cameras and communication devices may be installed in the passages inside and outside the cowshed so that the cows passing through the passages can be detected by sensors, and images of the cows passing through the passages captured by the cameras may be acquired by the communication unit 16, and the individual identification information may be acquired from the images of the identification tags captured in the images. Alternatively, the communication device may receive the individual identification information from RF tags attached to the cows passing through the passages, and the communication unit 16 may receive the individual identification information from the communication device. Furthermore, the evaluation unit 36 ​​may store in the memory unit 20 the individual identification number of the cow whose body condition score has been evaluated, the image 50 of the cow, the image date, and the body condition score of the cow as a single piece of associated information.

[0055] As described above, according to this embodiment, the image acquisition unit 30 acquires a two-dimensional captured image 50 in which a cow in a standing position is captured from almost directly behind (see FIG. 3). The extraction unit 32 extracts a contour line 60 of the cow from the captured image 50 (see FIG. 4). The determination unit 38 determines straight lines 210, 212 along the second curved portions 64a, 64b of the two peaks 61a, 61b present on both the left and right sides of the upper part of the contour line 60 (see FIG. 5). The calculation unit 34 calculates an angle ζ1 between the straight line 210 and the reference line 220, and an angle ζ2 between the straight line 212 and the reference line 220 (see FIG. 6). The evaluation unit 36 ​​evaluates the fleshiness of the cow captured in the captured image 50 from the average value of the angles ζ1 and ζ2 calculated by the calculation unit 34. In this manner, in this embodiment, the beefiness of the cow is evaluated using the two-dimensional captured image 50 obtained by capturing an image of the cow in a standing position from almost directly behind, and therefore, no special equipment for capturing an image of the cow in three dimensions or for capturing an image of the cow from above is required, and the present embodiment can be applied to various breeding sites. Furthermore, even if the cow is captured large or small in the two-dimensional captured image 50, the angles ζ1 and ζ2 do not change, so that the beefiness of the cow can be evaluated from the angles ζ1 and ζ2, and therefore the beefiness of the cow can be evaluated well without performing processing such as normalization. Furthermore, when a person evaluates the beefiness of the cow, the judgment criteria become ambiguous and the judgment varies, but in this embodiment, the control unit 22 judges the beefiness of the cow, so that the judgment variation can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the beefiness of the cow is evaluated using the two-dimensional captured image 50 obtained by capturing an image of the cow in a standing position from almost directly behind, the evaluation device 100, which is highly portable and highly versatile, such as a smartphone, can be used.

[0056] 5, the determiner 38 specifies a plurality of angles formed by a first tangent drawn from a point on the first curved portion 63a and a second tangent drawn from a point on the second curved portion 64a, with different combinations between the plurality of first tangents to the first curved portion 63a and the plurality of second tangents to the second curved portion 64a. Then, the determiner 38 determines the second tangent 68c forming the smallest angle among the plurality of specified angles α1, α2, α3, ... as the straight line 210 along the second curved portion 64a of the mountain portion 61a. Similarly, the determiner 38 specifies a plurality of angles formed by a first tangent drawn from a point on the first curved portion 63b and a second tangent drawn from a point on the second curved portion 64b, with different combinations between the plurality of first tangents to the first curved portion 63b and the plurality of second tangents to the second curved portion 64b, and determines the second tangent 69c forming the smallest angle among the specified plurality of angles β1, β2, β3, ... as the straight line 212 along the second curved portion 64b of the crest 61b. Since the two straight lines 210, 212 thus determined adequately reflect the degree of inclination of the crests 61a, 61b, the beefiness of the cow can be evaluated with high accuracy by using the angles ζ1, ζ2 formed by the straight lines 210, 212 and the reference straight line 220 to evaluate the beefiness of the cow.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the evaluation unit 36 ​​evaluates the fleshiness of the cow captured in the captured image 50 from the average value of the angles ζ1 and ζ2 calculated by the calculation unit 34. There is a high correlation between the average value of the angles ζ1 and ζ2 and the body condition score, as shown in Fig. 9. For this reason, by evaluating the fleshiness of the cow from the average value of the angles ζ1 and ζ2, it is possible to accurately evaluate the fleshiness of the cow.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the evaluation unit 36 ​​may evaluate the meatiness of the cow captured in the captured image 50 from only the angle ζ1 or only the angle ζ2. When the correlation between the body condition score and the angle ζ1 and the correlation between the body condition score and the angle ζ2 were investigated using a method similar to that of the experiment shown in FIG. 9, the coefficient of determination R 2 is 0.725, and the coefficient of determination R for the approximate line when only the angle ζ2 is used 2The coefficient of determination R was 0.688. This means that even when evaluating beef meatiness from angle ζ1 or angle ζ2, it is possible to evaluate the beef meatiness with high accuracy. As shown in Figure 9, when evaluating beef meatiness from the average value of angle ζ1 and angle ζ2, 2 was 0.766, so in terms of evaluating the beef meatiness with high accuracy, it is preferable to use the value obtained from the angles ζ1 and ζ2. In this case, in the above embodiment, the average value of the angles ζ1 and ζ2 is used, but other cases, such as the sum of the angles ζ1 and ζ2, may also be used.

[0059] [Another method for determining lines 210 and 212] 12(a) to 13(b) are diagrams for explaining another method for determining the straight line 210 along the second curved portion 64a of the peak portion 61a. Although not shown, the straight line 212 along the second curved portion 64b of the peak portion 61b can also be determined by a method similar to the method shown in FIGS. 12(a) to 13(b).

[0060] First, a first modified example of the method for determining the straight line 210 will be described with reference to FIG. 12(a). As shown in FIG. 12(a), the determination unit 38 identifies the top point 91 located at the top of the contour 60 and the apex 62a, which is a point at the approximate center of the mountain portion 61a, and identifies the distance L between the top point 91 and the apex 62a. The top point 91 is a part corresponding to the ridge of the cow. The top point 91 may be identified, for example, by moving a horizontal line in the extracted image 51 closer to the contour 60 from above, and identifying the point where the horizontal line first touches the contour 60 as the top point 91. Alternatively, the top point 91 may be identified by other methods, for example, by converting the extracted image 51 into an XY coordinate system and identifying the top point 91 from the X and Y coordinates of each pixel of the extracted image 51, or by identifying the point on the contour 60 that is the closest to the upper edge of the extracted image 51.

[0061] The determination unit 38 calculates two values ​​(L×R) by multiplying the identified interval L by mutually different coefficients R (for example, R is a value between 1.2 and 1.4), and specifies two circles 214a, 214b with different radii having the calculated values ​​as radii and centered at the highest point 91. The determination unit 38 then specifies points 216a, 216b where the circles 214a, 214b intersect with the second curved portion 64a of the mountain portion 61a, and determines the straight line passing through points 216a and 216b as the straight line 210 along the second curved portion 64a.

[0062] In this manner, the determination unit 38 may determine an approximation line obtained from two points 216a, 216b at which two circles 214a, 214b centered on the uppermost point 91 of the contour line 60 intersect with the second curved portion 64a of the mountain portion 61a as the straight line 210 along the second curved portion 64a. In this case, the straight line 210 can be determined by a simple process.

[0063] Next, a second modified example of the method for determining the straight line 210 will be described with reference to Fig. 12(b). As shown in Fig. 12(b), the determination unit 38 specifies three circles 214a, 214b, and 214c having radii obtained by multiplying the interval L by different coefficients R (for example, R is a value between 1.2 and 1.4) and having a center at the uppermost point 91 and different radii. The determination unit 38 then specifies points 216a, 216b, and 216c at which the circles 214a, 214b, and 214c intersect with the second curved portion 64a of the mountain portion 61a, and obtains an approximation line (regression line) from the points 216a, 216b, and 216c by the least squares method, and determines the approximation line as the straight line 210 along the second curved portion 64a.

[0064] In this manner, the determination unit 38 may determine, as the straight line 210 along the second curved portion 64a, an approximation straight line obtained from three points 216a, 216b, and 216c where three circles 214a, 214b, and 214c centered on the uppermost point 91 of the contour line 60 intersect with the second curved portion 64a of the mountain portion 61a. By determining the straight line 210 in this manner, it is possible to obtain a straight line 210 that better reflects the degree of inclination of the mountain portion 61a compared to the case of FIG. 12(a).

[0065] Next, a third modified example of the method for determining the straight line 210 will be described with reference to Fig. 13(a). As shown in Fig. 13(a), the determination unit 38 specifies two circles 214a and 214b of different radii having radii obtained by multiplying the interval L by different coefficients S (for example, S is a value between 0.2 and 0.5) and centered on the apex 62a of the mountain portion 61a. The determination unit 38 then specifies points 216a and 216b at which the circles 214a and 214b intersect with the second curved portion 64a of the mountain portion 61a, and determines the straight line passing through the points 216a and 216b as the straight line 210 along the second curved portion 64a.

[0066] In this manner, the determination unit 38 may determine an approximation line obtained from two points 216a, 216b at which two circles 214a, 214b centered on the apex 62a of the mountain portion 61a intersect with the second curved portion 64a of the mountain portion 61a as the straight line 210 along the second curved portion 64a. In this case, the straight line 210 can be determined by a simple process.

[0067] Next, a fourth modified example of the method for determining the straight line 210 will be described with reference to Fig. 13(b). As shown in Fig. 13(b), the determination unit 38 specifies three circles 214a, 214b, and 214c having different radii and centered on the apex 62a of the mountain portion 61a, and having radii obtained by multiplying the interval L by different coefficients S (for example, S is a value between 0.2 and 0.5). The determination unit 38 then specifies points 216a, 216b, and 216c at which the circles 214a, 214b, and 214c intersect with the second curved portion 64a of the mountain portion 61a, and obtains an approximated straight line (regression line) from the points 216a, 216b, and 216c by the least squares method, and determines the approximated straight line as the straight line 210 along the second curved portion 64a.

[0068] In this manner, the determination unit 38 may determine an approximation line obtained from three points 216a, 216b, and 216c where three circles 214a, 214b, and 214c centered on the apex 62a of the mountain portion 61a intersect with the second curved portion 64a of the mountain portion 61a as the line 210 along the second curved portion 64a. By determining the line 210 in this manner, it is possible to obtain a line 210 that better reflects the degree of inclination of the mountain portion 61a compared to the case of FIG. 13(a).

[0069] In the second and fourth modified examples, the number of circles specified by the determination unit 38 is not particularly limited, but in order to obtain a straight line along the second curved portion 64a that satisfactorily reflects the degree of inclination of the mountain portion 61a, it is preferable to specify as many circles as possible. In addition, in order to obtain a straight line along the second curved portion 64a that satisfactorily reflects the degree of inclination of the mountain portion 61a, a plurality of points at which a plurality of circles intersect the second curved portion 64a may be converted into XY coordinates, points at which the amount of change in position between adjacent points is large may be excluded, and an approximation straight line obtained by the least squares method from the remaining points may be determined as the straight line 210 along the second curved portion 64a.

[0070] As in the first to fourth modified examples, the determination unit 38 may determine an approximation line obtained from a plurality of points at which a plurality of circles having different radii and centered on the top point 91 of the contour line 60 or the apex 62a of the mountain portion 61a intersect with the second curved portion 64a of the mountain portion 61a as the straight line 210 along the second curved portion 64a. Although not shown in the figures, the determination unit 38 may specify one point at which a circle having a center at the top point 91 of the contour line 60 or the apex 62a of the mountain portion 61a intersects with the second curved portion 64a of the mountain portion 61a, and determine the tangent at this point as the straight line 210 along the second curved portion 64a. By determining the straight line 210 using one circle, the straight line 210 can be determined while reducing the processing load of the evaluation device 100 compared to the case of determining the straight line 210 using multiple circles. On the other hand, by determining the straight line 210 using a plurality of circles, it is possible to determine a straight line 210 that better reflects the degree of inclination of the peak portion 61a, compared to when the straight line 210 is determined using a single circle.

[0071] In the above first to fourth modified examples, the distance L between the uppermost point 91 of the contour line 60 and the apex 62a of the mountain portion 61a is used as a reference, and a circle having a radius obtained by multiplying this distance L by the coefficients R and S is used, but this is not limited to the above case. For example, a circle having a radius obtained by multiplying the distance between the uppermost point 91 of the contour line 60 and the lowermost point of the contour line 60 as a reference may be used. The coefficients in this case are different from the coefficients R and S when the distance L is used.

[0072] [Other examples of reference lines] 14(a) to 14(c) are diagrams showing other examples of the reference line 220. In the above embodiment, the reference line 220 is a straight line passing through the points 222a and 222b located at the top of the peaks 61a and 61b in the extracted image 51, but other straight lines extending in the direction in which the peaks 61a and 61b are arranged may be used. For example, as shown in FIG. 14(a), the reference line 220 may be a straight line passing through a vertex 62a, which is a point at the approximate center of the peak 61a, and a vertex 62b, which is a point at the approximate center of the peak 61b. As shown in FIG. 14(b), the reference line 220 may be an approximation line (regression line) obtained by the least squares method from the points (points represented by black triangles) where a plurality of circles with different radii centered on the top point 91 of the contour line 60 intersect with the peaks 61a and 61b. The circle used in this method may have a radius obtained by multiplying the distance L (see FIG. 12(a)) between the uppermost point 91 of the contour 60 and the apex 62a of the mountain 61a by a coefficient in the range of, for example, 0.5 to 1.25. Note that the distance between the uppermost point 91 of the contour 60 and the lowermost point of the contour 60 may be used instead of the distance L. Although not shown, the reference line 220 may be an approximation line obtained from a plurality of points where a circle centered on the uppermost point 91 intersects with the mountain 61a, 61b. As shown in FIG. 14(c), the reference line 220 may be a horizontal line extending in the horizontal direction in the extracted image 51.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the image acquisition unit 30 acquires an image of a cow in a standing position from approximately directly behind, but the image may be acquired from approximately the front of the cow in a standing position. Fig. 15(a) is an image 50 of a cow in a standing position from approximately directly behind, and Fig. 15(b) is an image 50a of the cow in Fig. 15(a) from approximately the front. As shown in Fig. 15(a), the image is not limited to an image of a cow in a standing position from approximately directly behind, and even if the image of a cow in a standing position is captured from approximately the front, as shown in Fig. 15(b), the image of the cow can be captured so that the contours around the left and right hip angles of the cow are visible.

[0074] FIG. 16(a) and FIG. 16(b) are extracted images 51 in which the contour line 60 of the cow is extracted from the captured images 50 and 50a of FIG. 15(a) and FIG. 15(b). As shown in FIG. 16(a), even when the image of the cow in a standing position is taken from almost directly behind, as shown in FIG. 16(b), even when the image of the cow in a standing position is taken from almost directly in front, the ridges 61a and 61b corresponding to the waist angle can be present on both the left and right sides of the upper part of the contour line 60. Therefore, even when the captured image 50a in which the cow in a standing position is taken from almost directly in front is used, the beefiness of the cow can be evaluated by the same method as when the captured image 50 taken from almost directly behind is used. In addition, even when the two-dimensional captured image 50a in which the cow in a standing position is taken from almost directly in front is used, as in the case of using the captured image 50 taken from almost directly behind, no special equipment is required to take an image of the cow from above, and the image can be applied to various breeding sites, and a portable information device such as a smartphone, which is highly portable and versatile, can be used as the evaluation device.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the evaluation device for evaluating the beefiness of cattle is a portable information device equipped with an image capturing unit 18 that is carried by an operator. However, other cases are also possible. For example, a stationary information device such as a server that can communicate with other devices connected to a network may be used. In this case, the operator transmits an image of the cattle captured using a portable information device such as a smartphone to a stationary information device such as a server via the network. The stationary information device performs the same process as the evaluation device 100 to evaluate the beefiness of the cattle. The stationary information device then transmits the evaluation result of the beefiness of the cattle to a portable information device carried by the operator via the network. This reduces the load on the smartphone. Also, a camera may be installed in the cattle shed so as to be fixed or movable, and the portable information device such as a smartphone and the stationary information device such as a server may acquire an image of the cattle standing upright, captured by the camera installed in the cattle shed, from approximately directly behind or approximately in front of the cattle.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the body condition score is evaluated as the fatness of the cow, but other indices for evaluating the fatness of the cow may be evaluated. Also, the experiment shown in the above embodiment was performed on dairy cows, but it is considered that the same results would be obtained for beef cows having a similar skeletal structure. Therefore, the above embodiment can be applied not only to dairy cows but also to beef cows.

[0077] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 12 Display section 14 Control section 16 Communications Department 18 Imaging section 20 Memory section 22 Control section 30 Image acquisition unit 32 Extraction part 34 Calculation section 36 Evaluation Section 38 Decision Section 50, 50a Image capture 51 Extracted Images 52 Upper left end point 54 Upper right end point 55, 55a, 55b, 56, 56a, 56b Slant straight line 60 Contour 61a, 61b Mountain 62a, 62b Vertex 63a, 63b 1st curve section 64a, 64b 2nd curve section 66a, 66b, 66c 1st tangent 67c 1st tangent 68a, 68b, 68c second tangent 69c second tangent 91 Top Point 100 Evaluation device 210, 212 straight line 214a, 214b, 214c yen Points 216a, 216b, 216c 220 datum straight line Points 222a, 222b

Claims

1. an image acquisition unit for acquiring a two-dimensional image of a cow in a standing position from approximately directly behind or approximately directly in front of the cow; an extraction unit that extracts a contour line of the cow from the captured image; a determination unit that determines a straight line along a first curved portion that extends from a substantially central point on the contour line of at least one of two peak portions present on both the left and right sides of an upper portion of the contour line toward the other peak portion and a second curved portion that extends to an opposite side to the first curved portion; a calculation unit that calculates an angle between the determined straight line and a reference straight line extending in a direction in which the two peaks are aligned; A cattle evaluation device comprising: an evaluation unit that evaluates the fleshiness of the cattle from the calculated angle or a value obtained from the angle.

2. 2. The cattle evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit identifies a plurality of angles formed by a first tangent drawn from a point on the first curved portion and a second tangent drawn from a point on the second curved portion, with different combinations between the plurality of first tangents to the first curved portion and the plurality of second tangents to the second curved portion, and determines the second tangent that forms the smallest angle among the plurality of identified angles as the straight line.

3. The cow evaluation device described in claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines the straight line from a point where one or more circles centered on the uppermost point of the contour line or the approximately central point of at least one of the peaks intersects with the second curve portion.

4. The cow evaluation device according to claim 3 , wherein the determination unit determines, as the straight line, an approximation straight line obtained from a plurality of points where a plurality of circles having different radii intersect with the second curve portion.

5. 5. A cow evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the reference straight line is a straight line passing through each of the uppermost points of the two peaks, a straight line passing through each of the approximately central points of the two peaks, an approximate straight line obtained from multiple points where one or more circles centered on the uppermost point of the contour line intersect with the two peaks, or a horizontal line in an extracted image from which the contour line has been extracted.

6. The cattle evaluation device according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation unit evaluates the fleshiness of the cattle from an average value of the angles at the two peaks calculated by the calculation unit.

7. The cattle evaluation device according to claim 1 , wherein the two peaks correspond to the hip angles of the cattle.

8. The cattle evaluation device according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation unit evaluates a body condition score as an evaluation of the beefiness of the cattle.

9. The cow evaluation device according to claim 1 , further comprising an imaging unit that images the cow.

10. A contour line of a cow is extracted from a two-dimensional captured image of the cow in a standing position taken from approximately directly behind or approximately directly in front of the cow; determining a straight line along a first curved portion extending from an approximate center point on the contour line of at least one of two peak portions present on both the left and right sides of an upper portion of the extracted contour line toward the other peak portion and a second curved portion extending on an opposite side to the first curved portion; Calculating an angle between the determined straight line and a reference straight line extending in a direction in which the two peaks are aligned; Evaluating the beefiness of the cattle from the calculated angle or a value obtained from the angle. A method for evaluating cattle, characterized in that processing is carried out by a computer.

Images