Autonomous Feeding Device Dynamic Threshold Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing animal feeding systems face challenges in maintaining optimal feed quality and intake, as they often deliver feed too early, leading to freshness issues and inefficient consumption due to the difficulty in accurately setting threshold values for feed replenishment.
Innovation Solution
A feeding system that uses an autonomous device with a control system to measure and store feed quantity values over time, calculating a variable representing the feed consumption rate to predict when feed will finish, allowing for precise timing of subsequent batch delivery and maintaining feed freshness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If threshold values are set high to ensure animals can always eat, then feed availability is improved, but feed freshness deteriorates due to premature delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the threshold for triggering feed delivery based on the calculated consumption rate. Instead of using a fixed threshold, the threshold adapts to current animal consumption patterns, allowing optimal balance between availability and freshness. The control system continuously monitors feed quantity and recalculates the dynamic threshold to trigger delivery at the precise moment when feed is needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously measuring feed quantity with the feed-quantity measuring device and using this information to calculate consumption rates. This feedback loop enables the control system to adjust delivery timing dynamically, triggering subsequent batch delivery precisely when the calculated feed quantity reaches the dynamic threshold, thereby optimizing both availability and freshness.
2Reliability
If feed is delivered early to ensure availability, then animals can always eat, but feed intake efficiency deteriorates due to reduced freshness
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculation of the consumption rate based on historical feed quantity data before triggering delivery. By analyzing past consumption patterns and predicting future needs, the system prepares to deliver the next batch of feed at the precise optimal moment, avoiding both premature delivery (which reduces freshness) and late delivery (which compromises availability).
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of delivery timing from a fixed schedule or static threshold to a dynamic value based on calculated consumption rates. This parameter change allows the system to optimize delivery moments continuously, improving feed freshness while maintaining availability, thereby enhancing overall feed intake efficiency.
3Device complexity
If fixed threshold values are used for feed replenishment, then system complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates due to inability to accurately determine optimal delivery timing
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically calculating consumption rates from its own measured feed quantity data and using this information to determine optimal delivery timing. The control system processes the measured data, calculates the consumption rate, determines when feed quantity reaches the dynamic threshold, and triggers delivery without external intervention, thereby achieving precise timing without requiring complex external control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces mechanical fixed-threshold control with an intelligent calculation-based approach. Instead of using predetermined fixed thresholds, the system uses the feed-quantity measuring device and control system to calculate dynamic thresholds based on actual consumption patterns, achieving higher precision in delivery timing while maintaining relatively simple system architecture.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A feeding system for feeding animals (9), in particular cows, such as dairy cows or meat cows, at at least one feeding place (31) with feed from a feed supply (7), wherein with the feeding system (1) comprises: at least one autonomous feeding device (10) comprising a container (12) for accommodating a batch of feed from the feed supply (7), wherein the autonomous feeding device (10) is configured to take feed held in the container (12) to the feeding place (31) and dispense it at said feeding place (31), a feed-quantity measuring device (38) for repeatedly measuring a feed quantity value for the quantity of feed which is available for consumption by the animals (9) at the feeding place (31), and a control system (35) which is configured to receive feed-quantity values from the feed-quantity measuring device (38) measured at the feeding place (31) at different measurement instants, wherein the control system (35) is configured to perform the following: store a plurality of feed-quantity values received from the feedquantitymeasuring device (38) in a memory (35a), and determine at least one value of a variable (X, hn) which is representative of a relation between the feed-quantity values and time at least at and/or after the last measurement instant, based on a plurality of feed-quantity values stored in the memory(35a).