Autonomous Feeding System with Dynamic Threshold Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing animal feeding systems, such as those for cows, face inefficiencies in maintaining feed freshness and optimizing intake due to the inability to account for variations in feed consumption throughout the day, leading to unnecessary feed delivery and reduced quality.
Innovation Solution
A feeding system that includes an autonomous feeding device with a container, a feed-quantity measuring device, and a control system capable of storing and analyzing feed-quantity values over time to calculate a feed variable, allowing for precise prediction of consumption rates and timely delivery of fresh feed.
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 unnecessary early delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the threshold value based on the time of day and measured feed consumption rates. During high consumption periods (morning, afternoon), higher thresholds ensure availability, while during low consumption periods (night), lower thresholds maintain freshness. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between ensuring feed availability and maintaining feed freshness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously measures actual feed consumption at the feeding places and uses this feedback to adjust threshold values and delivery timing. The control system compares measured consumption against predicted consumption, refining the model over time to optimize the balance between feed availability and freshness based on real-world data.
2Reliability
If threshold values are set based on highest consumption rate, then feed availability during peak times is improved, but feed waste increases due to unnecessary delivery during low consumption periods
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic threshold adjustment based on temporal patterns in feed consumption. Instead of using a static threshold based on peak consumption, the threshold varies throughout the day to match actual consumption rates, preventing unnecessary deliveries during low consumption periods and reducing feed waste while maintaining availability during peak times.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the threshold parameter based on time of day and consumption patterns. By modifying this key parameter dynamically rather than keeping it fixed, the system optimizes the balance between ensuring feed availability during high consumption periods and avoiding unnecessary deliveries that cause waste during low consumption periods.
3Reliability
If feed is delivered early to ensure availability, then animals can always eat, but feed quality deteriorates due to prolonged storage time
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by predicting future feed consumption and scheduling deliveries just in time before feed runs out, rather than delivering feed excessively early. The control system calculates optimal delivery times based on current consumption rates and storage capacity, ensuring feed arrives shortly before needed, minimizing storage time while maintaining continuous availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The autonomous feeding device monitors its own feed levels and consumption patterns, automatically determining when and where to deliver feed without excessive early arrival. The system uses real-time data from sensors and consumption measurements to self-regulate delivery timing, ensuring feed is delivered just in time to minimize storage duration while preventing stockouts.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
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 the feeding system (1) comprises: - an 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 (h-n) 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 (h-n) 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 (h-n) received from the feed quantity measuring device (38) in a memory (35a), and - calculate at least one value of a feed variable (hn), which in particular relates to the course of the feed-quantity values over time, at least one point in time after the last measurement instant, based on the feed-quantity values (h-n) stored in the memory.