EU-PLF project

ABROX
Advanced Technology
Daniel Ross

The presenter
Abrox Advanced Technology

Training, education and consulting on technology selection .

Vision based systems for dynamic 3D position measurements.
Teaching courses in different companies and universities related to industrial metrology and
robotics.
Participated in Solar R&D projects within C.D.T.I and European projects.
Extend the consultancy activities, where new technology such optical, electronic,
electromechanical, ICT or other technologies can improve.
Marketing and sales improve in technological domains

Daniel Ross
General Manager

Project Summary
EU-PLF project is defining pragmatic guidance on
how SmartFarming (PLF - Precision Lifestock
Farming) Systems can be applied to farm level in
order to create value for farmer and other
stakeholders. EU-PLF is based on the SmartFarming
(PLF) concept that represents the continuously
automated measurements, directly on the animal or
in its environment.

Contribution in tasks
Create awareness of promising PLF Technologies.
Develop prototypes to demonstrate new PLF
applications.
Put technology into value in PLF through spin-off
creation or through a bigger market player.

Automated pig weighting

based on
computer vision of 2D images
Ivan Amat-Roldan1, Iker Bilbao1, Antoni Gonzlez1, Agust Rodrguez1,
Joe Ainsworth1, David Verde1, Claudia Climent2, Pere Alemany2,
Joaquim Soler3, Daniel Ross4, Maurice Mergay5, Johan Van den Bossche6.

The Problem
Estimation of carcass weight is important in efficient
livestock processing operations, such as growth control
and pricing

Accurate and individualised weighting of pigs is impractical.

The Problem
150
140

Pearsons : 0,90
R2:
0,80
RMSE:
6,4 Kg

130
120
110
100
90

For a range between 90 - 110 Kg

12% of pigs are out of range

80
70
60
60

70

80

90

100

110

120

real weight (Kg)

130

140

150

State of the art

(Doeschl et al., 2004)

Preliminary results

(Doeschl et al., 2005)

camera

Preliminary results: Doeschl 2004 model

Manual annotation

Pearsons :
0,91
R2:
0,83
RMSE:
3,15 Kg
22 of 22 pigs (100%)

Automated system

Pearsons :
0,94
R2:
0,88
RMSE:
2,74 Kg
19 of 22 pigs (86%)

Preliminary results
zenital view and static distance
is not practical for
standard operators

camera
producers need
something that is more
practical, works at
different angles, at
different distances
something for the real
world

Hand held system

new device that:
-

understands the scene

computes a model in a wide range of
angles and distances
currently, under final stages of testing
submitted patent this year
commercial device this fall 2014

10 pigs
RMSE = 1,46Kg

25 pigs
RMSE = 1,72Kg

Acknowledgments

Transferring technology into the Farm Industry in the EU-PLF project.

1

Expert Ymaging, Plaa Urquinaona 6, 08010 Barcelona. Spain.

2 Institut

de Qumica Terica Computacional, Dpt. Fsica-Qumica, Facultat de Qumicas

Universitat de Barcelona, Mart i Franqus 1, 08028 Barcelona. Spain.
3 IRTA

(Research and Technology Food&Agriculture) Venat de Sies, s/n, 17121 Monells

(Girona), Spain.
4

Abrox Advance Technology, (EU-PLF SME-Drive group) Barcelona.

M&M Corporation, (EU-PLF SME-Drive group) Belgium.

SOKwadraat, (EU-PLF SME-Drive group) Belgium.

Acknowledgments

More info
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please visit us at www.ymaging.com

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