On-barn pig weight estimation based on body measurements by structure-from-motion (SfM)

Information on the body shape of pigs is a key indicator to monitor their performance and health and to control or predict their market weight. Manual measurements are among the most common ways to obtain an indication of animal growth. However, this approach is laborious and difficult, and it may be stressful for both the pigs and the stockman. The present paper proposes the implementation of a Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry approach as a new tool for on-barn animal reconstruction applications. This is possible also to new software tools allowing automatic estimation of camera parameters during the reconstruction process even without a preliminary calibration phase. An analysis on pig body 3D SfM characterization is here proposed, carried out under different conditions in terms of number of camera poses and animal movements. The work takes advantage of the total reconstructed surface as reference index to quantify the quality of the achieved 3D reconstruction, showing how as much as 80% of the total animal area can be characterized

Evaluation of body measurements of limousin heifers by backward regression analysis in Western Hungary

Body measurements of yearling Limousin heifers (height at withers, HW, cm; tail height, HT, cm; back length, LB, cm; width at shoulders, WS, cm; hip bone width, WHB, cm; pin width, WP, cm) were taken in 7 nucleus farms in the Western Hungarian region n=322). The aim was to collect information on body sizes of yearling heifers and to work out regression equations for body measurements and live weight. Backward regression analyses and multifactorial regression analysis were completed using software SPSS 24.0. Results of backward analysis revealed different R2% values were obtained (49.2 - 92.5) for prediction of withers’ height, tail height, length of back, and width of shoulders. Determination coefficients above 90% in cases of withers height and tail height imply that these parameters can be predicted by regression models accurately so one of them can be estimated. Both traits are useful in breeding strategy for planning corrective matings. For length of back and width at shoulders, precise prediction was not possible by these parameters. More researches are needed to find out better fitting models. Live weight could not be estimated accurately enough (R2=68.5 – 68.6%) from the available body measurements (withers height, tail height, length of back, width at shoulders, width at hip bones). Since other results imply that chest girth is strongly correlated with live weight, it is considerable for Hungarian Limousine breeders to involve this trait into measured parameters

Using 3D Imaging and Machine Learning to Predict Liveweight and Carcass Characteristics of Live Finishing Beef Cattle

Selection of finishing beef cattle for slaughter and evaluation of performance is currently achieved through visual assessment and/or by weighing through a crush. Consequently, large numbers of cattle are not meeting target specification at the abattoir. Video imaging analysis (VIA) is increasingly used in abattoirs to grade carcasses with high accuracy. There is potential for three-dimensional (3D) imaging to be used on farm to predict carcass characteristics of live animals and to optimise slaughter selections. The objectives of this study were to predict liveweight (LW) and carcass characteristics of live animals using 3D imaging technology and machine learning algorithms (artificial neural networks). Three dimensional images and LW's were passively collected from finishing steer and heifer beef cattle of a variety of breeds pre-slaughter (either on farm or after entry to the abattoir lairage) using an automated camera system. Sixty potential predictor variables were automatically extracted from the live animal 3D images using bespoke algorithms; these variables included lengths, heights, widths, areas, volumes, and ratios and were used to develop predictive models for liveweight and carcass characteristics. Cold carcass weights (CCW) for each animal were provided by the abattoir. Saleable meat yield (SMY) and EUROP fat and conformation grades were also determined for each individual by VIA of half of the carcass. Performance of prediction models was assessed using R2 and RMSE parameters following regression of predicted and actual variables for LW (R2 = 0.7, RMSE = 42), CCW (R2 = 0.88, RMSE = 14) and SMY (R2 = 0.72, RMSE = 14). The models predicted EUROP fat and conformation grades with 54 and 55% accuracy (R2), respectively. This study demonstrated that 3D imaging coupled with machine learning analytics can be used to predict LW, SMY and traditional carcass characteristics of live animals. This system presents an opportunity to reduce a considerable inefficiency in beef production enterprises through autonomous monitoring of finishing cattle on the farm and marketing of animals at the optimal time

개별 이온 및 작물 생육 센싱 기반의 정밀 수경재배 양액 관리 시스템

학위논문 (박사) -- 서울대학교 대학원 : 농업생명과학대학 바이오시스템·소재학부(바이오시스템공학), 2020. 8. 김학진.In current closed hydroponics, the nutrient solution monitoring and replenishment are conducted based on the electrical conductivity (EC) and pH, and the fertigation is carried out with the constant time without considering the plant status. However, the EC-based management is unable to detect the dynamic changes in the individual nutrient ion concentrations so the ion imbalance occurs during the iterative replenishment, thereby leading to the frequent discard of the nutrient solution. The constant time-based fertigation inevitably induces over- or under-supply of the nutrient solution for the growing plants. The approaches are two of the main causes of decreasing water and nutrient use efficiencies in closed hydroponics. Regarding the issues, the precision nutrient solution management that variably controls the fertigation volume and corrects the deficient nutrient ions individually would allow both improved efficiencies of fertilizer and water use and increased lifespan of the nutrient solution. The objectives of this study were to establish the precision nutrient solution management system that can automatically and variably control the fertigation volume based on the plant-growth information and supply the individual nutrient fertilizers in appropriate amounts to reach the optimal compositions as nutrient solutions for growing plants. To achieve the goal, the sensing technologies for the varying requirements of water and nutrients were investigated and validated. Firstly, an on-the-go monitoring system was constructed to monitor the lettuces grown under the closed hydroponics based on the nutrient film technique for the entire bed. The region of the lettuces was segmented by the excess green (ExG) and Otsu method to obtain the canopy cover (CC). The feasibility of the image processing for assessing the canopy (CC) was validated by comparing the computed CC values with the manually analyzed CC values. From the validation, it was confirmed the image monitoring and processing for the CC measurements were feasible for the lettuces before harvest. Then, a transpiration rate model using the modified Penman-Monteith equation was fitted based on the obtained CC, radiation, air temperature, and relative humidity to estimate the water need of the growing lettuces. Regarding the individual ion concentration measurements, two-point normalization, artificial neural network, and a hybrid signal processing consisting of the two-point normalization and artificial neural network were compared to select an effective method for the ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) application in continuous and autonomous monitoring of ions in hydroponic solutions. The hybrid signal processing showed the most accuracy in sample measurements, but the vulnerability to the sensor malfunction made the two-point normalization method with the most precision would be appropriate for the long-term monitoring of the nutrient solution. In order to determine the optimal injection amounts of the fertilizer salts and water for the given target individual ion concentrations, a decision tree-based dosing algorithm was designed. The feasibility of the dosing algorithm was validated with the stepwise and varying target focusing replenishments. From the results, the ion-specific replenishments formulated the compositions of the nutrient solution successfully according to the given target values. Finally, the proposed sensing and control techniques were integrated to implement the precision nutrient solution management, and the performance was verified by a closed lettuce cultivation test. From the application test, the fertigation volume was reduced by 57.4% and the growth of the lettuces was promoted in comparison with the constant timer-based fertigation strategy. Furthermore, the system successfully maintained the nutrient balance in the recycled solution during the cultivation with the coefficients of variance of 4.9%, 1.4%, 3.2%, 5.2%, and 14.9%, which were generally less than the EC-based replenishment with the CVs of 6.9%, 4.9%, 23.7%, 8.6%, and 8.3% for the NO3, K, Ca, Mg, and P concentrations, respectively. These results implied the developed precision nutrient solution management system could provide more efficient supply and management of water and nutrients than the conventional methods, thereby allowing more improved water and nutrient use efficiencies and crop productivity.현재의 순환식 수경재배 시스템에서 양액의 분석과 보충은 전기전도도 (EC, electrical conductivity) 및 pH를 기반으로 수행되고 있으며, 양액의 공급은 작물의 생육 상태에 대한 고려 없이 항상 일정한 시간 동안 펌프가 동작하여 공급되는 형태이다. 그러나 EC 기반의 양액 관리는 개별 이온 농도의 동적인 변화를 감지할 수 없어 반복되는 보충 중 불균형이 발생하게 되어 양액의 폐기를 야기하며, 고정된 시간 동안의 양액 공급은 작물에 대해 과잉 또는 불충분한 물 공급으로 이어져 물 사용 효율의 저하를 일으킨다. 이러한 문제들에 대해, 개별 이온 농도에 대해 부족한 성분만을 선택적으로 보충하고, 작물의 생육 정도에 기반하여 필요한 수준에 맞게 양액을 공급하는 정밀 농업에 기반한 양액 관리를 수행하면 물과 비료 사용 효율의 향상과 양액의 재사용 기간 증진을 기대할 수 있다. 본 연구의 목적은 자동으로, 그리고 가변적으로 작물 생육 정보에 기반하여 양액 공급량을 제어하고, 작물 생장에 적합한 조성에 맞게 현재 양액의 이온 농도 센싱에 기반하여 적절한 수준만큼의 물과 개별 양분 비료를 보충할 수 있는 정밀 수경재배 양액 관리 시스템을 개발하는 것이다. 해당 목표를 달성하기 위해, 변이하는 물과 양분 요구량을 측정할 수 있는 모니터링 기술들을 분석하고 각 모니터링 기술들에 대한 검증을 수행하였다. 먼저, 작물의 물 요구량을 실시간으로 관측할 수 있는 영상 기반 측정 기술을 조사하였다. 영상 기반 분석 활용을 위해 박막경 기반의 순환식 수경재배 환경에서 자라는 상추의 이미지들을 전체 베드에 대해 수집할 수 있는 영상 모니터링 시스템을 구성하였고, 수집한 영상 중 상추 부분만을 excess green (ExG)과 Otsu 방법을 통해 분리하여 투영작물면적 (CC, canopy cover)을 획득하였다. 영상 처리 기술의 적용성 평가를 위해 직접 분석한 투영작물면적 값과 이를 비교하였다. 비교 검증 결과에서 투영작물면적 측정을 위한 영상 수집 및 분석이 수확 전까지의 상추에 대해 적용 가능함을 확인하였다. 이후 수집한 투영작물면적과 기온, 상대습도, 일사량을 기반으로 생육 중인 상추들이 요구하는 물의 양을 예측하기 위해 Penman-Monteith 방정식 기반의 증산량 예측 모델을 구성하였으며 실제 증산량과 비교하였을 때 높은 일치도를 확인하였다. 개별 이온 농도 측정과 관련하여서는, 이온선택성전극 (ISE, ion-selective electrode)를 이용한 수경재배 양액 내 이온의 연속적이고 자율적인 모니터링 수행을 위해 2점 정규화, 인공신경망, 그리고 이 둘을 복합적으로 구성한 하이브리드 신호 처리 기법의 성능을 비교하여 분석하였다. 분석 결과, 하이브리드 신호 처리 방식이 가장 높은 정확성을 보였으나, 센서 고장에 취약한 신경망 구조로 인해 장기간 모니터링 안정성에 있어서는 가장 높은 정밀도를 가진 2점 정규화 방식을 센서 어레이에 적용하는 것이 적합할 것으로 판단하였다. 또한, 주어진 개별 이온 농도 목표값에 맞는 비료 염 및 물의 최적 주입량을 결정하기 위해 의사결정트리 구조의 비료 투입 알고리즘을 제시하였다. 제시한 비료 투입 알고리즘의 효과에 대해서는 순차적인 목표에 대한 보충 및 특정 성분에 대해 집중적인 변화를 부여한 보충 수행 실험을 통해 검증하였으며, 그 결과 제시한 알고리즘은 주어진 목표값들에 따라 성공적으로 양액을 조성하였음을 확인하였다. 마지막으로, 제시되었던 센싱 및 제어 기술들을 통합하여 NFT 기반의 순환식 수경재배 배드에 상추 재배를 수행하여 실증하였다. 실증 실험에서, 종래의 고정 시간 양액 공급 대비 57.4%의 양액 공급량 감소와 상추 생육의 촉진을 확인하였다. 동시에, 개발 시스템은 NO3, K, Ca, Mg, 그리고 P에 대해 각각 4.9%, 1.4%, 3.2%, 5.2%, 그리고 14.9% 수준의 변동계수 수준을 보여 EC기반 보충 방식에서 나타난 변동계수 6.9%, 4.9%, 23.7%, 8.6%, 그리고 8.3%보다 대체적으로 우수한 이온 균형 유지 성능을 보였다. 이러한 결과들을 통해 개발 정밀 관비 시스템이 기존보다 효율적인 양액의 공급과 관리를 통해 양액 이용 효율성과 생산성의 증진에 기여할 수 있을 것으로 판단되었다.CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1 BACKGROUND 1 Nutrient Imbalance 2 Fertigation Scheduling 3 OBJECTIVES 7 ORGANIZATION OF THE DISSERTATION 8 CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 10 VARIABILITY OF NUTRIENT SOLUTIONS IN HYDROPONICS 10 LIMITATIONS OF CURRENT NUTRIENT SOLUTION MANAGEMENT IN CLOSED HYDROPONIC SYSTEM 11 ION-SPECIFIC NUTRIENT MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT IN CLOSED HYDROPONICS 13 REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUES FOR PLANT MONITORING 17 FERTIGATION CONTROL METHODS BASED ON REMOTE SENSING 19 CHAPTER 3. ON-THE-GO CROP MONITORING SYSTEM FOR ESTIMATION OF THE CROP WATER NEED 21 ABSTRACT 21 INTRODUCTION 21 MATERIALS AND METHODS 23 Hydroponic Growth Chamber 23 Construction of an On-the-go Crop Monitoring System 25 Image Processing for Canopy Cover Estimation 29 Evaluation of the CC Calculation Performance 32 Estimation Model for Transpiration Rate 32 Determination of the Parameters of the Transpiration Rate Model 33 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 35 Performance of the CC Measurement by the Image Monitoring System 35 Plant Growth Monitoring in Closed Hydroponics 39 Evaluation of the Crop Water Need Estimation 42 CONCLUSIONS 46 CHAPTER 4. HYBRID SIGNAL-PROCESSING METHOD BASED ON NEURAL NETWORK FOR PREDICTION OF NO3, K, CA, AND MG IONS IN HYDROPONIC SOLUTIONS USING AN ARRAY OF ION-SELECTIVE ELECTRODES 48 ABSTRACT 48 INTRODUCTION 49 MATERIALS AND METHODS 52 Preparation of the Sensor Array 52 Construction and Evaluation of Data-Processing Methods 53 Preparation of Samples 57 Procedure of Sample Measurements 59 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 63 Determination of the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) Structure 63 Evaluation of the Processing Methods in Training Samples 64 Application of the Processing Methods in Real Hydroponic Samples 67 CONCLUSIONS 72 CHAPTER 5. DECISION TREE-BASED ION-SPECIFIC NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT ALGORITHM FOR CLOSED HYDROPONICS 74 ABSTRACT 74 INTRODUCTION 75 MATERIALS AND METHODS 77 Decision Tree-based Dosing Algorithm 77 Development of an Ion-Specific Nutrient Management System 82 Implementation of Ion-Specific Nutrient Management with Closed-Loop Control 87 System Validation Tests 89 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 91 Five-stepwise Replenishment Test 91 Replenishment Test Focused on The Ca 97 CONCLUSIONS 99 CHAPTER 6. ION-SPECIFIC AND CROP GROWTH SENSING BASED NUTRIENT SOLUTION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR CLOSED HYDROPONICS 101 ABSTRACT 101 INTRODUCTION 102 MATERIALS AND METHODS 103 System Integration 103 Implementation of the Precision Nutrient Solution Management System 106 Application of the Precision Nutrient Solution Management System to Closed Lettuce Soilless Cultivation 112 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 113 Evaluation of the Plant Growth-based Fertigation in the Closed Lettuce Cultivation 113 Evaluation of the Ion-Specific Management in the Closed Lettuce Cultivation 118 CONCLUSIONS 128 CHAPTER 7. CONCLUSIONS 130 CONCLUSIONS OF THE STUDY 130 SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE STUDY 134 LIST OF REFERENCES 136 APPENDIX 146 A1. Python Code for Controlling the Image Monitoring and CC Calculation 146 A2. Ion Concentrations of the Solutions used in Chapter 4 (Unit: mg∙L−1) 149 A3. Block Diagrams of the LabVIEW Program used in Chapter 4 150 A4. Ion Concentrations of the Solutions used in Chapters 5 and 6 (Unit: mg∙L−1) 154 A5. Block Diagrams of the LabVIEW Program used in the Chapters 5 and 6 155 ABSTRACT IN KOREAN 160Docto

Tracking agonistic behaviors in pigs

Master of ScienceDepartment of Animal Sciences and IndustryLindsey E HulbertModern day animal production is intensively increasing to meet global demand for animal products. Producers must balance the increased demand for animal product and instill trust in consumers. Pigs raised in intensive production system display more fighting and unresolved conflict than wildtype pigs. This conflict is called “agonistic interactions”. These undesired behaviors occur mainly at the finishing stage of pigs when resources (water, food, space etc.) becomes limited or when animals meet unfamiliar pen mates. Chronic stress from unresolved conflict is an indication of poor animal welfare and may lead to reduced product quality. The first step in reducing the conflict is finding an efficient system to detect and track pigs at the individual level. Precision animal management is the incorporation of information technology into animal production to monitor animals online, which are supported with artificial intelligence to collect and analyze data that will help to sustainably improve livestock farming. While many systems exist, visual tracking has a great potential for commercial application because it is the least invasive. These systems will, therefore, be useful to producers by providing an early detection of agonistic behaviors in herd, provide timely intervention to compromised animals thereby increasing economic gains

Advances in Sensors, Big Data and Machine Learning in Intelligent Animal Farming

Animal production (e.g., milk, meat, and eggs) provides valuable protein production for human beings and animals. However, animal production is facing several challenges worldwide such as environmental impacts and animal welfare/health concerns. In animal farming operations, accurate and efficient monitoring of animal information and behavior can help analyze the health and welfare status of animals and identify sick or abnormal individuals at an early stage to reduce economic losses and protect animal welfare. In recent years, there has been growing interest in animal welfare. At present, sensors, big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence are used to improve management efficiency, reduce production costs, and enhance animal welfare. Although these technologies still have challenges and limitations, the application and exploration of these technologies in animal farms will greatly promote the intelligent management of farms. Therefore, this Special Issue will collect original papers with novel contributions based on technologies such as sensors, big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to study animal behavior monitoring and recognition, environmental monitoring, health evaluation, etc., to promote intelligent and accurate animal farm management

Fluorescence and Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy and Endoscopy for Tissue Analysis

Biophotonics techniques are showing great potential for practical tissue diagnosis, capable of localised optical spectroscopy as well as wide field imaging. Many of those are generally based on the same concept: the spectral information they enable to acquire encloses clues on the tissue biochemistry and biostructure and these clues carry diagnostic information. Biophotonics techniques present the added advantage to incorporate easily miniaturisable hardware allowing several modalities to be set up on the same systems and authorizing their use during minimally invasive surgery (MIS) procedures. The work presented in this thesis aims to build on these advantages to design biophotonics instruments for tissue diagnosis. Fluorescence and diffuse reflectance, the two modalities of interest in this work, were implemented in their single point spectroscopic and imaging declinations. Two “platforms”, a spectroscopic probe setup and an optical imaging laparoscope, were built; they included either one of the two aforementioned modalities or the two of them together. The spectroscopic probe system was assembled to detect lesions in the digestive tract. In its first version, the setup included a dual laser illumination system to carry out an ex vivo fluorescence study of non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD) in the mouse model. Outcomes of the study demonstrated that healthy livers could be distinguished from NAFLD livers with high classification accuracy. Then, the same fluorescence probe inserted in a force adaptive robotic endoscope was applied on a fluorescence phantom and a liver specimen to prove the feasibility of recording spectra at multiple points with controlled scanning pattern and probe/sample pressure (known to affect the spectra shape). This approach proposed therefore a convincing method to perform intraoperative fluorescence measurements. The fluorescence setup was subsequently modified into a combined fluorescence/diffuse reflectance spectroscopic probe and demonstrated as an efficient method to separate normal and diseased tissue samples from the human gastrointestinal tract. Following the single point spectroscopy work, imaging studies were conducted with a spectrally resolved laparoscope. The system, featuring a CCD/filter wheel unit clipped on a traditional laparoscope was validated on fluorescence phantoms and employed in two experiments. The first one, building on the spectroscopy study of the gastrointestinal tract, was originally aimed at locating tumour in the oesophagus but a lack of tissue availability prevented us from doing so. The system design and validation on fluorophores phantoms were nevertheless described. In the second one, the underarm of a pig was imaged after injection of a nerve contrast agent in order to test the feasibility of in vivo nerve delineation. Fluorescence was detected from the region of interest but no clear contrast between the nerve and the surrounding muscle tissue could be detected. Finally, the fluorescence imaging laparoscope was modified into a hyperspectral reflectance imaging laparoscope to perform tissue vasculature studies. It was first characterized and tested on haemoglobin phantoms with varying concentrations and oxygen saturations and then employed in vivo to follow the haemoglobin concentration and oxygen saturation temporal evolutions of a porcine intestine subsequently to the pig’s termination. A decrease in oxygen saturation was observed. The last experiment consisted in monitoring the tissue re-oxygenation of a rabbit uterus transplant on the recipient animal, a successful tissue re-perfusion after the graft was highlighted

Medical Robotics

The first generation of surgical robots are already being installed in a number of operating rooms around the world. Robotics is being introduced to medicine because it allows for unprecedented control and precision of surgical instruments in minimally invasive procedures. So far, robots have been used to position an endoscope, perform gallbladder surgery and correct gastroesophogeal reflux and heartburn. The ultimate goal of the robotic surgery field is to design a robot that can be used to perform closed-chest, beating-heart surgery. The use of robotics in surgery will expand over the next decades without any doubt. Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) is a revolutionary approach in surgery. In MIS, the operation is performed with instruments and viewing equipment inserted into the body through small incisions created by the surgeon, in contrast to open surgery with large incisions. This minimizes surgical trauma and damage to healthy tissue, resulting in shorter patient recovery time. The aim of this book is to provide an overview of the state-of-art, to present new ideas, original results and practical experiences in this expanding area. Nevertheless, many chapters in the book concern advanced research on this growing area. The book provides critical analysis of clinical trials, assessment of the benefits and risks of the application of these technologies. This book is certainly a small sample of the research activity on Medical Robotics going on around the globe as you read it, but it surely covers a good deal of what has been done in the field recently, and as such it works as a valuable source for researchers interested in the involved subjects, whether they are currently “medical roboticists” or not

Optical Methods in Sensing and Imaging for Medical and Biological Applications

The recent advances in optical sources and detectors have opened up new opportunities for sensing and imaging techniques which can be successfully used in biomedical and healthcare applications. This book, entitled ‘Optical Methods in Sensing and Imaging for Medical and Biological Applications’, focuses on various aspects of the research and development related to these areas. The book will be a valuable source of information presenting the recent advances in optical methods and novel techniques, as well as their applications in the fields of biomedicine and healthcare, to anyone interested in this subject