Animal Harness Sensor Positioning for Accurate Health Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current animal health monitoring systems are limited by the need for manual intervention, inaccuracies due to animal activity and environmental factors, and difficulty in maintaining sensor position, leading to potential false alarms and ineffective health status assessment.
Innovation Solution
An animal harness equipped with multiple sensors and a controller that wirelessly transfers data to a mobile device or remote server, detecting and adjusting for animal activity and environmental conditions to provide accurate, real-time health monitoring without human presence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sensors are positioned on the animal using a collar, then the monitoring system is simple to implement, but the sensor position cannot be maintained accurately when the animal is mobile and active
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the monitoring function into multiple components: a wearable harness with sensors, a wireless communication module, and a remote monitoring platform. This segmentation allows the sensor positioning function to be isolated and optimized independently through the harness design while keeping the overall system manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The harness is pre-configured with sensor mounting positions and attachment mechanisms before being applied to the animal. This preliminary preparation ensures that sensors are correctly positioned from the start and remain stable during animal movement, eliminating the need for continuous manual adjustment.
2Measurement precision
If manual monitoring is performed continuously, then measurement accuracy can be maintained, but significant time and human resources are required
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system operates autonomously once deployed on the animal. Sensors automatically collect health data, the wireless module automatically transmits data when in range, and the remote platform automatically processes and analyzes the information. This self-service capability eliminates the need for continuous manual monitoring while maintaining high measurement accuracy through automated quality control algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements automated feedback loops where measurement data is continuously monitored and compared against established thresholds. When anomalies are detected, the system automatically generates alerts to caregivers, enabling timely intervention without requiring constant human observation. The feedback mechanism also includes quality assessment of measurements to ensure accuracy.
3Speed
If measurements are taken continuously during animal activity, then real-time health data is obtained, but false alarms increase due to movement interference
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts its operation based on detected animal activity levels. Motion sensors and acceleration data are used to determine when the animal is stationary versus active. During high-activity periods, the system may pause non-critical measurements or mark them as potentially unreliable, while continuing to monitor critical vital signs. This dynamic approach allows continuous data collection during low-activity periods while reducing false alarms during high-activity periods.
4Measurement precision
If environmental monitoring is added to account for external factors, then measurement accuracy improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wearable harness is designed as a multi-functional platform that simultaneously monitors multiple health parameters (temperature, heart rate, respiration) and environmental conditions (ambient temperature, humidity). By consolidating these functions into a single integrated device rather than separate systems, the overall complexity is managed while achieving comprehensive and accurate health assessment that accounts for environmental factors.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and associated methods for round-the-clock monitoring of an animal's health status includes an animal harness that is worn by the animal, and one or both of a mobile device and a remote server. The animal harness includes a plurality of sensors for collecting health measurements of the animal. The animal harness also includes a transceiver that communicates the heath measurements to one or both of the mobile device and the remote server, where a user may view the health measurements. Firmware in the animal harness, an application running in the mobile device, and software in the remote server processes and corrects the health measurements to generate a health status of the animal and notifications are generated when the animal's health is not within a safe range defined by the user.