To accurately monitor the length of pigs' tails, an innovative 3D inspection system is being installed in slaughterhouses. The technology consists of a combination of several steps:
- Combining two industrial Time of Flight (ToF) 3D cameras to generate a detailed point-cloud image of the pigtail.
- Segmenting the tail by sophisticated software, which isolates it from the rest of the image.
- Drawing a line through the center of the tail using a skeleton 3D algorithm, then calculating the exact length of the tail.
Applying this technology industrially in a slaughterhouse environment is challenging. The variation in conditions and ensuring accurate measurements under practical conditions required an innovative approach. However, through close cooperation with experts and intensive testing, the system was successfully optimized for practical use.
The 3D system is fully integrated with the overhead management system, enabling comprehensive and accurate reporting. Thanks to this technology, slaughterhouses and farmers gain valuable insights into animal welfare and can take steps to structurally improve the living conditions of pigs.
Visual support
Below is a video showing the generated point-cloud of the pig's tail. The video illustrates how the technology works in practice, from capturing the 3D image, segmenting the tail to the final calculation of the tail length.
