A CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ADAPTING A LIGHT RECIPE

Abstract

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved control system (10) for adapting a light recipe in a growing cycle of at least one boar (40), so as to delay sexual maturation of said at least one boar, which at least alleviates the problems and disadvantages related to boar taint. Thereto, the invention provides a control system for adapting a light recipe (21) in a growing cycle of at least one boar to delay sexual maturation of said at least one boar, wherein the control system comprises a controller (11) configured to: control a lighting device (20) to illuminate the at least one boar with said light recipe; obtain a first signal indicative of a sexual maturation level of the at least one boar; control, upon determining that the sexual maturity level of the at least one boar exceeds a predefined sexual maturity level, the lighting device to adapt said light recipe by (i) increasing a blue content of a spectrum of said light recipe, (ii) increasing a length of a photo-period of said light recipe, and/or (iii) increasing a light intensity of said light recipe.

Claims

1. A control system for adapting a light recipe in a growing cycle of at least one boar to delay sexual maturation of said at least one boar, wherein the control system comprises a controller configured to: control a lighting device to illuminate the at least one boar with said light recipe; obtain a first signal indicative of a sexual maturation level of the at least one boar; and control, upon determining that the sexual maturity level of the at least one boar exceeds a predefined sexual maturity level, the lighting device to adapt said light recipe by (i) increasing a blue content of a spectrum of said light recipe, (ii) increasing a length of a photo-period of said light recipe, and/or (iii) increasing a light intensity of said light recipe.

2. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the first signal is indicative of the sexual maturation level of the at least one boar exceeding the predefined sexual maturation level.

3. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to: determine the sexual maturation level of the at least one boar based on the first signal; and determine that the sexual maturity level of the at least one boar exceeds a predefined sexual maturity level.

4. The control system according to claim 3, wherein the first signal is indicative of at least one feature characterizing the sexual maturation level of the at least one boar; wherein the controller is configured to determine the sexual maturation level of the at least one boar by counting a number of occurrences of said at least one feature, and/or by assessing an intensity of said at least one feature.

5. The control system according to claim 4, wherein the control system comprises a sensing device for determining said at least one feature; and wherein the controller is configured to retrieve or obtain said first signal from the sensing device.

6. The control system according to claim 5, wherein the sensing device is a camera for obtaining vision data and/or a microphone for measuring acoustic data; wherein the first signal comprises respectively the vision data and/or the acoustic data.

7. The control system according to claim 4, wherein the at least one feature comprises at least one behavioral feature and/or at least one physiological feature of the at least one boar.

8. The control system according to claim 6, wherein said at least one behavioral feature comprises an occurrence of the at least one boar: fighting another animal, jumping onto another animal, biting, being agitated, and/or performing a sexual activity.

9. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the control system comprises the lighting device.

10. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to: obtain a second signal indicative of an average weight of the at least one boar; output, upon determining a second condition in which the average weight of the at least one boar exceeds a predefined average weight of the at least one boar, a harvesting signal for harvesting the at least one boar.

11. The control system according to claim 10, wherein the second signal is indicative of the average weight of the at least one boar exceeding a predefined average weight of the at least one boar.

12. A method of adapting a light recipe in a growing cycle of at least one boar to delay sexual maturation of said at least one boar, wherein the method comprises: controlling a lighting device to illuminate the at least one boar with said light recipe; obtaining a first signal indicative of a sexual maturation level of the at least one boar; and controlling, upon determining that sexual maturity level of the at least one boar exceeds a predefined sexual maturity level, the lighting device to adapt said light recipe by (i) increasing a blue content of a spectrum of said light recipe, (ii) increasing a length of a photo-period of said light recipe, and/or (iii) increasing a light intensity of said light recipe.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first signal is indicative of at least one feature characterizing the sexual maturation level of the at least one boar, wherein the method comprises: determining the sexual maturation level of the at least one boar by counting a number of occurrences of said at least one feature, and/or by assessing an intensity of said at least one feature.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the method comprises: obtaining a second signal indicative of an average weight of the at least one boar; and outputting, upon determining that the average weight of the at least one boar exceeds a predefined average weight of the at least one boar, a harvesting signal for harvesting the at least one boar.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer program code to perform the method of claim 12 when the computer program product is run on a processing unit of a computing device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] The invention will now be further elucidated by means of the schematic non-limiting drawings:

[0041] FIG. 1 depicts schematically a control system according to the invention;

[0042] FIG. 2 depicts schematically a control system according to the invention;

[0043] FIG. 3 depicts schematically a control system according to the invention;

[0044] FIG. 4 depicts schematically an embodiment of a method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0045] As mentioned before, the meat processing industry copes with problems associated with boar taint, and one of the solutions to mitigate said problems is castration of piglets. However, physical castration is both disadvantageous to the animal and negatively affects animal welfare, as well as disadvantageous to the weight-to-feed ratio of the livestock. Chemical castration is undesired from a consumer viewpoint and associated consumer welfare. Hence, it may be desired to reduce and/or prevent boar taint, while maintaining e.g. animal welfare.

[0046] As partly mentioned, a growing cycle of at least one boar may be accompanied by a light recipe providing artificial lighting conditions. Such artificial lighting conditions may for example be the mimicking of seasonal conditions, such as providing variations in the length and/or intensity of daylight, or the application of circadian rhythms. Boars may therefore breed year-round in artificial lighting conditions, and are typically seasonal short-day breeders. Hence, under lighting conditions mimicking end-of-summer and/or autumn, the at least one boar will gradually sexually mature and become ready for mating and/or breeding. If the at least one boar is slaughtered after reaching puberty and sexual maturity, boar taint will increasingly manifest itself.

[0047] The control system and methods according to the present invention advantageously adapt various parameters of a light recipe in a growing cycle of at least one boar to delay sexual maturation of said at least one boar, upon determining that the sexual maturation level of at least one boar exceeds a predefined sexual maturation level; which results in a reduction and/or prevention of boar taint (of the meat of such at least one boar).

[0048] FIG. 1 depicts schematically, by non-limiting example, a control system 10 according to the invention. The control system 10 is arranged for adapting a light recipe 21 in a growing cycle of two boars 40, so as to delay sexual maturation of said two boars 40. Alternatively, said two boars may be one boar, at least one boar, such as a population of boars, or a population of mixed-sex pigs comprising boars. The two boars 40 are in a stable. The light recipe 21 is thus associated with the growing cycle of the two boars 40. The light recipe 21 is initially characterized by a spectrum, a photoperiod, and a light intensity. A lighting device 20 illuminates the two boars 40 with the light recipe 21 accordingly. The lighting device 20 is a stable luminaire.

[0049] The control system 10 comprises a controller 11. The controller 11 controls the lighting device 20 to illuminate the two boars 40 with the light recipe 21. The controller 11 is in wired connection with the lighting device 20, but may alternatively be at e.g. a remote location and e.g. in wireless connection with the lighting device, via e.g. the wireless modalities such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, Wi-Fi, VLC, RF, IR, etc.

[0050] The controller 11 further obtains a first signal. The first signal is indicative of a sexual maturation level of the two boars 40. More specifically, here, the first signal is indicative of the sexual maturation level of the two boars exceeding a predefined sexual maturity level. The predefined sexual maturity level is the onset of puberty of a boar. The first signal is namely (already) determined by the processing device 30. The first signal may alternatively be indicative of the sexual maturation level of one (individual) boar of the two boars. The invention may apply mutatis mutandis for such individual boar.

[0051] The processing device 30 comprises an image sensor and a processor equipped with image analysis capabilities (not necessarily in the same housing). The image sensor records visual data associated with the two boars 40 and the corresponding processor analyses the behavior of the two boars 40. The behavioral features of the two boars 40, such as the number and/or intensity of occurrences of the two boars 40 fighting each other, of jumping onto each other, of biting, and/or of performing sexual activities may be evaluated; and as a function thereof a sexual maturity level may be determined. Hence, the processing device 30 is able to provide said first signal indicative of the sexual maturation level of the two boars exceeding a predefined sexual maturity level by means of image analysis. Alternatively, said determination may be performed per individual boar. Alternatively, said vision sensor may be any other sensing means for determining sexual maturity levels of the two boars, such as a microphone measuring acoustic data indicative of features of aggression and/or fighting boars (which may be an indication of behavior belonging to an onset of puberty of the boars). Yet alternatively, said processing device may be an analysis device for analyzing physical or physiological properties of the two boars, or properties of the stable, so as to arrive at the sexual maturity levels of the two boars. Yet alternatively, said first signal may be provided by a user device receiving a user input indicative that the sexual maturity level of the boars exceeds a predefined sexual maturity level.

[0052] Still referring to FIG. 1, the control system 10 obtains the first signal from the processing device 30 via a wired connection. Alternatively, said processing device may convey the first signal to the control system 10 via at least a wireless connection, such as e.g. Bluetooth, ZigBee, Wi-Fi, Lo-Ra, VLC, RF, IR, etc. The first signal indicates that the sexual maturation level of the two boars 40 exceeds the predefined sexual maturity level. Alternatively, it may be detected that the sexual maturation level of one of the two boars exceeds the predefined sexual maturity level. The controller 11 determines thereby that the sexual maturity level of the two boars 40 exceeds the predefined sexual maturity level by obtaining the first signal. Subsequently, upon determining that the sexual maturity level of the two boars 40 exceeds the predefined sexual maturity level, the controller 11 controls the lighting device 20 to adapt said light recipe 21. Here, the length of the photo-period of said light recipe is increased, and the light intensity of said light recipe 21 is increased. Thus, for example, the daily dose of artificial lighting is having a longer daily duration (i.e. e.g. summer days are longer) and is having a higher intensity (i.e. e.g. mimicking more sunny conditions). This matches for example summer conditions, and differentiates from autumn conditions, thereby delaying the sexual maturation of the two boars 40 (since boars are short-day breeders). Alternatively, the controller may control the lighting device to increase the blue content of the spectrum of the light recipe 21.

[0053] As a result, the sexual maturity of the two boars 40 is delayed, because parameters of the light recipe 21 are adapted accordingly as discussed. Boar taint may therefore be reduced and/or prevented, because the two boars 40 will be less sexually mature upon slaughter.

[0054] FIG. 2 depicts schematically, by non-limiting example, a control system 50 according to the invention. The control system 50 is arranged for adapting a light recipe 61 in a growing cycle of a population of mixed-sex swine 90, the population of mixed-sex swine comprising at least one boar, so as to delay sexual maturation of said at least one boar. The light recipe 21 is initially characterized by a spectrum, a photoperiod, and a light intensity. The control system 50 comprises a controller 51, a lighting device 60 and a sensor bundle 70. The controller 51, lighting device 60 and the sensor bundle 70 are embodied within a single housing, but may alternatively be part of a distributed connected system. The controller 51 controls the lighting device 60 to illuminate the population of mixed-sex swine 90 with the light recipe 61. The light recipe 61 is tailored to the growing cycle of the population of mixed-sex swine 90.

[0055] The sensor bundle 70 comprises a camera and a microphone. The sensor bundle 70 may be phrased as a sensing device. The camera records vision data associated with the population of mixed-sex swine 90. Similarly, the microphone measures acoustic data associated with the population of mixed-sex swine 90. The camera and the microphone (i.e. the sensor bundle 70) measure occurrences of a behavioral feature of the population of mixed-sex swine 90. Here, the behavioral feature is biting of the at least one boar of the population of mixed-sex swine 90. Biting is a feature associated with the onset of puberty in boars, thus the sexual maturity of the at least one boar may be a function of the amount of biting. Moreover, biting is a behavioral feature that may be detected with the camera and subsequently counted, similarly, the microphone may measure increase in the amount of bites and reactions thereto by the population of mixed-sex swine 90.

[0056] The sensor bundle 70 subsequently provides (or forwards, or conveys) said vision data and said acoustic data to the controller 51 via a first signal. The first signal therefore comprises the vision data and the acoustic data, and the first signal is hence indicative of the behavioral feature (i.e. biting) that characterizes the sexual maturation level of the at least one boar within the population of mixed-sex swine. The controller 51 itself then determines the sexual maturation level of the at least one boar 90 based on the first signal by counting the number of occurrences of said feature (of biting). In alternative examples, this may be supported or aided by image analysis tools comprising artificial intelligence and/or machine learning algorithms, so as to improve an analysis of the vision data. Alternatively, the controller 51 may also assess the intensity of said occurrences, i.e. e.g. weighting each occurrence. Said sexual maturation level may for example be an average sexual maturation level.

[0057] Thus, the controller 51 determines the sexual maturation level of at least one boar within said population based on the first signal. The controller 51 subsequently determines whether the sexual maturity level of the at least one boar exceeds a predefined sexual maturity level. The predefined sexual maturity level is the onset of puberty of a boar. Upon determining that the sexual maturity level of the at least one boar exceeds the predefined sexual maturity level, the controller 51 controls the lighting device 60 to adapt said light recipe 61. Here, the length of the photo-period of said light recipe is increased, the light intensity of said light recipe is increased, and the blue content of the spectrum of the light recipe 61 is increased. This adaptation delays the sexual maturation of the at least one boar, because parameters of the light recipe 21 are adapted accordingly as discussed. Boar taint may therefore be reduced and/or prevented, because the population of boars will be less sexually mature upon slaughter. The light recipe 21 may alternatively also be optimized to both serving the population of mixed-sex swine, as well as to serve the function of delaying sexual maturation of the boars therein.

[0058] Alternatively, in examples not depicted: The behavioral feature may be any other behavioral feature characterizing the sexual maturation level of the at least one boar, or a combination of behavioral features. For example, an occurrence of the at least one boar fighting another animal, jumping onto another animal, being agitated, and/or performing a sexual activity. Similarly, mutatis mutandis, the feature may also be a physiological feature characterizing the sexual maturation level of the at least one boar, such as a musculature, a testicular size, a body smell, a skin status, a stress level, a perspiration rate, a hormone level, a pheromone level, and/or a core temperature. Thereby, in both alternatives, and sub-alternatives, a corresponding sensing device may be envisioned to determine (or detect, or analyze, or measure) one of said behavioral and/or physiological feature.

[0059] FIG. 3 depicts schematically, by non-limiting example, a control system 100 according to the invention, which is similar to the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, but may alternatively be similar to the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2. This embodiment however comprises a single boar. Moreover, the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3 comprises a control system 100 comprising a controller 111 receiving a second signal. The second signal is indicative of an average weight of the boar 140. Again, the control system 100 comprises a lighting device 120 emitting the light scene 121 and a processing device 130.

[0060] Here, the controller 111 receives the second signal from a device 180 for determining the weight of the boar 140. Such a device may for example be a camera or a Time-of-Flight sensor. The controller 111 determines the average weight of the boar 140 based on said second signal, and determines whether the average weight of the boar 140 exceeds a predefined average weight of the boar 140. The controller may for example determine said predefined average weight from a prestored growth curve of the boar. Upon determining that the average weight exceeds the predefined average weight, the controller 111 outputs a harvesting signal for harvesting the boar 140. This harvesting signal is a notification signal sent via a wireless connection to a user device 190, such as a user device 190 associated with the stable holder. Alternatively, said harvesting signal may be sent via a wireless connection, or conveyed via different media to an addressee or stable management system. Thus, the boar may advantageously be harvested when the boar reaches the stage of sexual maturity corresponding to the predefined sexual maturity level, i.e. e.g. before reaching puberty so as to reduce and/or prevent boar taint. Alternatively, the controller may control the lighting device to output the harvesting signal, the harvesting signal may thereby be a visual cue. Yet alternatively, the harvesting signal may be a control signal to control a lighting device to output a visual cue, such as illumination illuminating the location of said boar; or the harvesting signal may be an identification signal of the boar, such that an external device receiving said identification signal is informed to harvest said particular boar.

[0061] In an alternative embodiment (not depicted), an external device may determine that the average weight of the boar exceeds a predefined average weight, and subsequently convey this as a second signal to the control system 100 and/or the controller 111 thereof. The second signal is thereby indicative of the average weight of the boar exceeding a predefined average weight. The external device may for example be a scale. The processing to determine the average weight and whether said average weight exceeds a predefined average weight of the boar is therefore done external to the controller.

[0062] FIG. 4 depicts schematically, by non-limiting example, an embodiment of a method 800 according to the invention. The method 800 adapts a light recipe in a growing cycle of at least one boar to delay sexual maturation of said at least one boar. The method comprises the step 801 of controlling a lighting device to illuminate the at least one boar with said light recipe. The light recipe is characterized by a spectrum, a photoperiod, and a light intensity. The method 800 further comprises the step 802 of obtaining a first signal indicative of a sexual maturation level of at least one boar. The method 800 further comprises the step 803 of determining the sexual maturation level of the at least one boar based on the first signal. In an optional sub step 804, the first signal is indicative of at least one feature characterizing the sexual maturation level of the at least one boar, and the method 800 comprises determining the sexual maturation level of the at least one boar by counting a number of occurrences of said at least one feature. Alternatively, the intensity of the at least one feature may be assessed. The method 800 comprises a further step 805 of controlling, upon determining that sexual maturity level of the at least one boar exceeds a predefined sexual maturity level, the lighting device to adapt said light recipe by (i) increasing a blue content of a spectrum of said light recipe, (ii) increasing a length of a photo-period of said light recipe, and/or (iii) increasing a light intensity of said light recipe. The method may be a feedback-loop optimizing the light recipe provided.

[0063] In an alternative embodiment, not depicted, the method may comprise a step wherein the first signal is indicative of the sexual maturation level of the at least one boar exceeding a predefined sexual maturation level. The sexual maturation level may for example be the onset of puberty of the at least one boar. In such an embodiment, the first signal already provides the determination of the sexual maturity level of the at least one boar exceeding a predefined sexual maturity level, hence obtaining said first signal may be equivalent to said controller determining this condition.

[0064] Additionally, in an alternative embodiment, the method may comprise: obtaining a second signal indicative of an average weight of the at least one boar; outputting, upon determining that the average weight of the at least one boar exceeds a predefined average weight of the at least one boar, a harvesting signal for harvesting the at least one boar.