Autonomous Poultry Weighing Gates for Weight-Based Barn Sorting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for controlling and standardizing bird weights in poultry farms require manual or mechanical intervention, causing stress, injuries, and significant labor, with existing equipment failing to meet the need for autonomous weight-based division and sorting without human interaction.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of autonomous standardization scales within aviaries that automatically adjust bird divisions based on weight, using actuators to transfer birds between compartments, eliminating the need for manual handling and reducing the risk of injury and stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual weighing and sorting methods are used, then weight control accuracy is improved, but labor requirements and operational complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables birds to perform self-weighing by walking through the scale structure, eliminating the need for manual handling. The automatic weight detection and real-time data transmission to the central system allows the birds to be sorted autonomously based on their weight, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical weighing and sorting operations with an automated electronic system. Load cells detect bird weight automatically, and the central system processes this data to control feed distribution, substituting human labor with an integrated electronic control system that maintains accuracy while reducing operational complexity.
2Productivity
If mechanical weighing equipment is used, then labor requirements are reduced, but bird stress and injury risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
Birds voluntarily walk through the weighing structure to access feed, performing the weighing action themselves without being handled by machinery. This self-service approach eliminates the harmful mechanical constraints and stress associated with traditional mechanical weighing equipment while maintaining productivity through automated weight detection and feed control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary electronic detection system (load cells and sensors) that measures bird weight without physical contact or mechanical constraint. This intermediary approach allows accurate weight measurement and automated feed allocation without the bird stress and injury caused by direct mechanical handling.
3Stability of the object's composition
If frequent weighing and sorting is performed, then weight uniformity within divisions is improved, but production time and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous weight monitoring and automatic feed adjustment rather than periodic batch weighing and sorting. Birds are weighed continuously as they move through the system, and feed allocation is adjusted in real-time based on individual weight data, maintaining weight uniformity without interrupting production flow or consuming additional time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses real-time feedback from weight sensors to automatically adjust feed distribution to each bird based on its current weight status. This continuous feedback loop maintains optimal weight uniformity within divisions without requiring time-consuming manual intervention or repeated sorting operations, as the system proactively prevents weight deviations rather than correcting them later.
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 maintains uniform bird weights within each division, reduces labor requirements, minimizes production losses, and enhances operational safety by automating the sorting process.
Implementation Method 1
The equipment consists of four load cells that weigh and send the data to an external system
Data Source
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AI summary
The request for privilege of invention is directed to the poultry sector and deals with divisions and scales implanted in breeding farms of matrices with the objective of uniting the birds provided with similar weights within a single division without exceeding the maximum number of birds stipulated in that space. The aviary (1) is divided into three parts or divisions (2), (3) and (4) using barriers (5) and (5'), the first division (2) being aimed at lighter birds, the second (3) at medium weight birds and the third division (4) suitable for heavy birds. Next to the barriers (5) and (5'), the scales (6) are inserted in the form of cages that act as passages between the divisions of the aviary. The system created specifically to control the scales regulates the inflow and outflow within a total maximum number at each division, i.e., where a maximum number of birds per division was determined, no scale will remain with the trapdoor open in the inflow to that division, only in the outflow direction, until the maximum number of birds is normalized.