Animal Collar Orientation Markers for Stress-Free Health Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Animals require frequent health monitoring, but scheduling regular veterinary visits can be inconvenient and costly, and existing systems lack non-invasive methods for monitoring health parameters in a stress-free environment.
Innovation Solution
A non-invasive animal health sensing system using a kiosk with a sensor suite and computer vision, guided by persuasion delivery devices, autonomously captures health parameters like weight, temperature, and dental conditions, recommending customized feed nutrients based on analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If veterinary visits are scheduled for animal health monitoring, then health parameters can be evaluated, but it is inconvenient and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables animals to undergo health monitoring themselves by walking into the kiosk, with automated sensors capturing health parameters without requiring veterinary intervention. The animal autonomously completes the monitoring process by entering the analysis zone and standing on the scale.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual veterinary examination is replaced with automated sensor systems including weight scales, thermal cameras, computer vision systems, and acoustic sensors that automatically capture and analyze health parameters without human physical contact during the measurement process.
2Measurement precision
If multiple health parameters are monitored frequently, then health tracking accuracy improves, but stress on the animal increases
Solution Approach 1:
Invasive physical examinations are replaced with non-contact sensing technologies including thermal imaging cameras for temperature detection, computer vision systems for body condition scoring, and acoustic sensors for respiratory and cardiac monitoring, eliminating stress associated with manual restraint and physical manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses intermediary devices such as the collar with orientation markers and treat dispensing mechanisms as mediators to guide the animal through the monitoring process voluntarily, reducing stress by allowing the animal to approach the sensors willingly rather than being forced into examination positions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a variety of health parameters are monitored, then comprehensive health analysis is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The kiosk integrates multiple sensing modalities (weight measurement, thermal imaging, computer vision, acoustic sensing) into a single unified platform that can simultaneously or sequentially measure diverse health parameters including weight, body temperature, body condition score, respiratory rate, and cardiac rate, eliminating the need for multiple separate devices or veterinary visits.
Solution Approach 2:
The system divides the health monitoring process into distinct functional zones within the kiosk: weight measurement zone with scale, thermal imaging zone for temperature detection, computer vision zone for body condition analysis, and acoustic sensing zone for respiratory and cardiac monitoring, allowing each sensor type to operate independently while contributing to comprehensive health assessment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Facilitates frequent, stress-free health monitoring, enabling accurate health tracking and customized diet recommendations, reducing the need for frequent veterinary visits and lowering costs.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal camera to detect body temperature
Implementation Method 2
to identify an orientation of an animal in the walk-in analysis zone by capturing images of the orientation indicator device
Implementation Method 3
a scale to detect weight
Data Source
AI summary
An orientation indicator device that includes a band having an interior side, an exterior side, and a length to wrap around a neck of an animal. The orientation indicator device includes at least one fiducial marker attached to the band that is visible from the exterior side of the band to denote an orientation of the animal. The orientation indicator device includes a tag coupled to the band to hang by gravity from under the neck. The band is in the form of a collar with fasteners to fasten the collar around the neck. A system is also disclosed that includes a walk-in analysis zone. The orientation indicator device and a computer vision system, in the walk-in analysis zone, identify an orientation of an animal in the zone by capturing the orientation indicator device and dimensions of a body of the animal.