Leg-Mounted Sensor for Livestock Musculoskeletal Anomaly Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for detecting hoof diseases and leg anomalies in livestock are invasive, unreliable, and difficult to maintain, as they require internal devices that cannot be removed or repaired.
Innovation Solution
A non-invasive sensor arrangement attached to the animal's legs, featuring acceleration and inclination sensors that measure and process time-dependent data, allowing for accurate detection of musculoskeletal system anomalies through data comparison with pre-stored profiles, with optional external data processing and visual indicators for easy monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an internal device is implanted in the animal for continuous monitoring, then the reliability of disease detection is improved, but the animal suffers internal burden and the device cannot be removed or repaired
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is divided into separate components: a removable sensor unit attached to the animal's exterior and a separate data processing system. This segmentation allows the sensor to be detached and replaced without internal surgery, eliminating the need for permanent implantation while maintaining monitoring capability.
Solution Approach 2:
An external data processing system acts as an intermediary between the sensor and the final analysis. The sensor collects data and transmits it externally, where processing and evaluation occur. This intermediary approach enables reliable disease detection through continuous monitoring without requiring the sensor to be permanently implanted inside the animal.
2Duration of action of moving object
If an internal device is permanently implanted in the animal, then continuous monitoring capability is improved, but the device becomes permanently inaccessible and cannot be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into a removable sensor component and a separate processing system. The sensor unit can be detached, maintained, or replaced by veterinary personnel without requiring animal surgery or complex procedures, ensuring continuous monitoring capability while maintaining ease of repair.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor unit is designed to be self-contained with internal power supply and data storage, allowing it to function autonomously during attachment. The unit can be easily removed and replaced by personnel without specialized training, enabling simple maintenance while maintaining continuous monitoring through regular sensor replacement.
3Reliability
If optical measurement of back shape changes is used to detect gait abnormalities, then the ability to detect hoof diseases is improved, but the evaluation becomes very complicated and highly error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The complex optical measurement and evaluation system is replaced with a mechanical sensor system that directly measures acceleration and movement parameters. The sensor unit contains accelerometers and other sensors that mechanically detect gait abnormalities and transmit data externally for simplified processing, replacing complicated optical evaluation with straightforward mechanical measurement and digital analysis.
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
Enables certain and non-invasive detection of hoof diseases and leg anomalies, with the ability to monitor and maintain the device externally, providing accurate and reliable data for animal health assessment.
Implementation Method 1
with which at least one acceleration sensor measures acceleration data in a time-dependent manner
Implementation Method 2
with which at least one inclination sensor measures inclination angle data in a time-dependent manner
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention comprises an arrangement for detecting an anomaly or disease of the musculoskeletal system of a farm animal and a corresponding method, wherein the arrangement comprises at least one sensor arrangement, each located in a housing and each attached or attachable to a leg of the farm animal, comprising at least one time-dependent accelerometer and/or tilt sensor, a power supply unit and a data transmission module, and a data processing unit coupled to the data transmission module with an acceleration and/or tilt angle data storage unit and a database in which predetermined time-dependent acceleration and/or tilt angle data profiles and/or time-dependent acceleration and/or tilt angle difference profiles are assigned to predetermined states of the musculoskeletal system of farm animals.wherein the data processing device comprises a difference calculation module for generating acceleration and/or inclination angle differences between acceleration and/or inclination angle data curves generated from current and previous acceleration and/or inclination angle data, and a comparison module for comparing the respective current acceleration and/or inclination angle data curve and/or a time-dependent acceleration and/or inclination angle difference curve determined from the acceleration and/or inclination angle differences with the states of the musculoskeletal system of farm animals from the database.