Animal Access Gate with Speed-Based Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gate control systems for livestock are unreliable in managing animal access, leading to animals being directed to the wrong exits or getting injured between gates, due to unpredictable opening and closing speeds.
Innovation Solution
An assembly that includes an entrance gate controlled by a measuring device to determine an animal's walking speed, allowing the control device to adjust the gate's position and speed to ensure reliable access while minimizing stress on the animals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the entrance gate opens or closes based on fixed timing or distance-based control, then the system structure is simple, but the reliability of animal access control deteriorates due to unpredictable animal speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The measuring device measures the animal's walking speed in advance before the animal reaches the gate. The control device uses this pre-measured speed information to calculate and execute the optimal gate opening/closing timing, ensuring the gate is in the correct position when the animal arrives. This preliminary measurement and calculation resolves the contradiction by enabling reliable access control based on actual animal speed rather than fixed timing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback loop where the measuring device continuously monitors the animal's walking speed, and the control device adjusts the gate operation based on this real-time information. The control device receives the speed signal and modifies the gate's opening/closing behavior accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that adapts to varying animal speeds and ensures reliable access control.
2Productivity
If the gate operates at high speed to improve productivity, then the processing throughput increases, but the risk of animal injury or stress increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gate system transitions from fixed-speed operation to dynamic speed control. The measuring device captures the animal's walking speed, and the control device adjusts the gate's opening/closing speed and timing to match the animal's movement characteristics. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to operate efficiently while preventing injury by ensuring the gate moves at appropriate speeds relative to each animal's pace.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the gate remains open longer to accommodate slow-moving animals, then animal stress is reduced, but the risk of animals accessing wrong spaces increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes the temporal parameters of gate operation based on measured animal speed. Instead of using fixed open/duration times, the control device calculates the optimal gate opening duration and timing by multiplying the measured walking speed by the distance to the gate, then adds appropriate margins. This parameter adaptation ensures the gate remains open long enough for slow animals without compromising access control accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention includes an assembly to provide an animal access to a space. The assembly includes an entrance gate which, in a first position provides access to the space and, in a second position, blocks the access to the space. The assembly further includes a measuring device configured to measure a walking speed of the animal, and to transmit a signal indicative of the measured walking speed. The assembly also includes a control device configured to receive the signal from the measuring device, and to control the entrance gate depending on the received signal.By using the measured walking speed of the animal, the control device can, for example, close the entrance gate sooner or close it more quickly if there is a threat of an animal being crushed.