Animal Husbandry Lighting Control Using Camera Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing animal husbandry systems lack an efficient and automated mechanism for calibrating and maintaining a desired illumination intensity pattern in areas with animals, which is affected by external factors like time, season, and weather, leading to inefficient energy use and suboptimal monitoring conditions.
Innovation Solution
An animal husbandry system with illumination units and cameras that use movable reference surfaces, such as animal bodies or unmanned vehicles, to determine illumination intensity and adjust LED modules automatically, ensuring a predetermined illumination pattern is maintained.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If traditional illumination systems are used in animal husbandry, then basic lighting is provided, but the illumination intensity cannot be automatically adjusted to maintain a desired pattern, resulting in uneven lighting and energy waste
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs cameras to continuously monitor illumination intensity at reference surfaces (animal bodies) and feeds this information back to control means, which automatically adjust LED illumination elements to maintain the desired illumination pattern. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables automatic adaptation to changing environmental conditions without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the animals themselves as reference surfaces for illumination measurement, eliminating the need for separate calibration devices or sensors. The animals' bodies naturally serve as the reference, and the system self-adjusts based on captured images, making the calibration process automatic and continuous without requiring external equipment or human operation.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are added to monitor and adjust illumination, then precise control is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The camera serves multiple functions: it monitors animal behavior for welfare assessment and simultaneously measures illumination intensity by analyzing reference surfaces in captured images. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate illumination sensors, reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses existing visual elements (animals and their surroundings) as reference surfaces for illumination measurement, eliminating the need for dedicated calibration sensors or devices. The animals themselves serve as the reference, and standard camera equipment suffices for both monitoring and illumination measurement tasks.
3Illumination intensity
If continuous illumination adjustment is performed, then optimal lighting is maintained, but energy is wasted on unnecessary adjustments during transient disturbances
Solution Approach 1:
The control means analyzes captured images to detect transient disturbances in illumination patterns and predicts whether adjustments are necessary before executing them. By preliminarily assessing the situation, the system avoids unnecessary adjustments during temporary disturbances while maintaining optimal lighting during genuine changes, thereby conserving energy.
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
The system provides a highly efficient, automated, and user-friendly solution for maintaining consistent illumination, reducing energy waste and enhancing monitoring accuracy by filtering out transient disturbances.
Implementation Method 1
the illumination elements in the system each comprise an LED module
Implementation Method 2
the camera(s) is (are) arranged for repeatedly determining the illumination intensity at one or more reference surfaces in the area
Data Source
AI summary
An animal husbandry system for a group of animals that can move about freely in an area. The system contains at least one illumination unit, each illumination unit contains a mounting structure provided with a number of illumination elements, and each is arranged for illuminating a respective subarea. The system also contains at least one camera arranged for monitoring a number of subareas, where the camera(s) is (are) arranged for repeatedly determining the illumination intensity at one or more reference surfaces in the area. The system further contains a control means, operatively connected to the illumination elements and to the camera(s), and the control means is programmed for adjusting the illumination elements, based upon the determined illumination intensity at the reference surface(s), in such a way that a predetermined desired illumination intensity pattern is achieved in the area.