Revolutionising Pig Farm Surveillance with AI
Empowering Pig Welfare and Farm Efficiency through Advanced Technology
Made possible by our partners
Early Detection of Diease
Identification of diseases and environmental issues, reducing manual inspections
Increased Operations Efficiency
Streamlined operations through continuous monitoring for operational cost reduction
Enhanced Animal Welfare
Improved living conditions by proactively addressing health and behavioural problems
Reduced Human Intervention
Minimised disruption in daily farm activities, ensuring a stress-free environment for livestock
Introducing FarmSense
A revolutionary project born from the collaboration between academia and engineering, designed to bring state-of-the-art syndromic surveillance to pig farms through the power of artificial intelligence (AI). By harnessing a sophisticated network of sensors that measure volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and a live camera-based behaviour monitoring system, FarmSense continuously streams real-time data to advanced AI models. These models are trained to detect anomalies that may signal disease, equipment malfunctions, or harmful behaviours like tail-biting and belly-nosing.
Mission
Our mission at FarmSense is twofold: first, to understand and distinguish the subtle variations in pig behaviours that result from such detrimental occurrences, and second, to enable timely recognition and intervention.
By providing a robust infrastructure for data acquisition and health monitoring, FarmSense aims to enhance pig welfare and operational efficiency, all while minimizing the need for disruptive human oversight. Join us in pioneering a future where technology and animal husbandry work hand in hand for a healthier, more efficient farming industry.
FAQs
What are the benefits of FarmSense?
FarmSense enhances farm management by providing early detection of issues, reducing the need for manual inspections, and improving overall animal welfare. This leads to increased efficiency, reduced costs, and healthier livestock.
Which industry partners collaborate for the FarmSense project?
- University of Surrey
- Scotland Rural College (SRUC)
- Innovent Technology
- Roboscientific
- Cranswick farms
- Zoetis
How was FarmSense funded?
FarmSense was given a budget of £785,554, funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in conjunction with Innovate UK to monitor the progress of the project.
How does FarmSense acquire its data?
Several specially built pig pens were constructed at a facility in Scotland with our industry partners with sensors embedded and strict controls over ventilation, noise pollution and human activity. Healthy pigs of varying size and gender were selected to reside in the pens and are supported by a dedicated farm staff and a CCTV monitoring system to ensure pigs were safe and secure.
What kind of health and welfare issues can FarmSense detect?
Our models are trained to detect several pig responses toa wide variety of issues commonplace to pig farms. These include;
- Early signs of diseases including PCV and Lawsonia
- Damage to bedding
- Issues with temperature and ventilation
- Malfunctioning food and water distribution
- Violent and harmful behaviours.
Does FarmSense cause harm to pigs?
Rest assured there was only minimal disruption caused to pigs and they are never deliberately harmed. The pigs experience temporary and occasional discomfort because of vaccinations, and some specific interventions necessary to train the AI to recognise such issues. Full ethical permission for the safe containment of pigs was obtained in accordance with these conditions.
How quickly can AI models detect signs of a problem?
Detection times can vary based on the specific issue, but we typically can notice signs of disease within 8 hours after incubation, issues with bedding in within 6 hours, and malfunctioning feeder and drinker as soon as 4 hours,