Device for optically identifying the sex of a slaughter pig

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for optically identifying the sex of a slaughter pig with a depth camera that has a depth camera acquisition region in which a genital region of the pig and spatial coordinates of pixels are acquired. The spatial coordinates are provided in a transmittable manner and include a positioning device to position the depth camera relative to the genital region of the pig. The device includes an evaluation unit connected to the depth camera. The spatial coordinates are acquired by the evaluation unit to determine a phenotypic sex of the pig.

Claims

1. A device for optically identifying the sex of a slaughtered slaughter pig, comprising: a depth camera having a depth camera capture region for capturing a genital region of the slaughter pig and spatial coordinates of pixels, the spatial coordinates being provided in transmittable form; a tubular rail on which the slaughter pig is suspended accommodated with the hind legs thereof on the tubular rail with the hind legs arranged on the tubular rail and spaced apart longitudinally along movement axis of the tubular rail; a positioning device supporting said depth camera and for positioning said depth camera in relation to the genital region of the slaughter pig, said positioning device arranging the depth camera orthogonally to said tubular rail; and an analysis unit connected to said depth camera, said analysis unit capturing the spatial coordinates provided by said depth camera and ascertaining a phenotypic sex of the slaughter pig on the basis of the spatial coordinates, the phenotypic sex being a differentiation into male uncastrated, male castrated, male having entirely or partially internal testicles, and female.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said depth camera is configured as a stereo camera system having a pattern projector, said pattern projector projects a texture onto the surface of the slaughter pig in the region of the genital region.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said depth camera is constructed as a time-of-flight camera.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said depth camera includes a first camera with a first depth camera capture region in which the genital region of the slaughter pig is captured in a rear-hindquarters view, and a second depth camera with a second depth camera capture region in which the genital region of the slaughter pig is captured in a belly view.

5. The device according to claim 1, which further comprises an image camera having an image camera capture region for capturing light intensity values of pixels on a surface of the slaughter pig in the region of the genital region, said image camera being connected to the analysis unit, said positioning device positioning said image camera in relation to said depth camera for at least partially overlapping the image camera capture region and the depth camera capture region in a shared capture region.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein said analysis unit is configured to detect a movement of the slaughter pig on the tubular rail based on a change of the spatial coordinates of pixels effected by the movement of the slaughter pig on the tubular rail and to initialize a sex identifying process based on the recognition of a movement of the slaughter pig along the tubular rail.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein said tubular rail has hooks for accommodating the hind legs.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) The invention will be explained in greater detail as an exemplary embodiment on the basis of

(2) FIG. 1 schematic illustrationside view

(3) FIG. 2a schematic illustration with stereo cameratop view

(4) FIG. 2b schematic illustration with stereo camera and pattern projectortop view

(5) FIG. 3 schematic illustration, top view with two depth cameras,

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) wherein the slaughter pig to be captured and the genital region thereof are only shown schematically and in very simplified form in the figures.

(7) FIG. 1 shows the device according to the invention for optically identifying the sex of a slaughter pig 1 in a side view. The slaughter pig 1 is guided in the course of its processing along a tubular rail 9 past the device. The placement of the optical sex identification within the processing process of the slaughter pig 1 is performed in the present case after scalding, scraping machine, flaming furnace, and whipping, but in any case before the division. Such a placement of the optical sex identification offers the advantage in particular that existing hairs or soiling on the slaughter pig have already been removed by the previous treatments and thus an optimum sex identification can be provided.

(8) The device according to the invention has a depth camera 2 having a depth camera capture region 3, in which a genital region 4 of the slaughter pig 1 can be captured.

(9) In addition, spatial coordinates of pixels can be captured in the depth camera capture region 3, wherein the spatial coordinates are composed of the respective surface coordinates (x, y) and a depth value (z) of the pixels, and wherein the capture of the spatial coordinates of the pixels takes place in real-time.

(10) The spatial coordinates are provided in transmittable form by the depth camera 2, wherein the provision of the spatial coordinates preferably also takes place in real-time.

(11) The device furthermore has a positioning device 5, by means of which the depth camera 2 can be positioned in the required alignment in relation to the genital region 4.

(12) The positioning of the depth camera 2 is performed in this exemplary embodiment such that it captures the genital region 4 diagonally from above.

(13) As a further component, the device according to the invention has an analysis unit 6, which is connected to the depth camera 2 and is capable of capturing the spatial coordinates provided by the depth camera 2.

(14) According to the invention, the analysis unit 6 performs an analysis of the captured spatial coordinates, wherein phenotypic sex features such as a testicular region or female sex organs are ascertained in particular on the basis of the depth values of the spatial coordinates. After the ascertainment of the phenotypic sex features, a classification of the slaughter pig 1 is performed by the analysis unit 6, for example, on the basis of a previously defined classifier, according to boar, barrow, sow, or cryptorchid boar, and the classification is output.

(15) The output of the classification result is performed on a monitor, which displays the classification result by naming the phenotypic sex of the slaughter pig 1. In parallel, the classification result is transmitted, with assignment to the identification code of the slaughter animal, to a central computer having connected database.

(16) The analysis unit identifies automatically on the basis of the depth values (z) when the slaughter pig 1 is moved by means of the tubular rail 9 into the depth camera capture region 3 of the depth camera 2 and initializes the image capture and the subsequent analysis.

(17) FIG. 2a shows the device according to the invention in a further exemplary embodiment as a top view.

(18) In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the depth camera 2 is designed as a stereo camera system having two objectives 2.3 and 2.4. In the present case, each objective 2.3, 2.4 has a separate capture region 3.3, 3.4, wherein in this case the depth camera capture region 3 represents the region in which the capture regions 3.3, 3.4 of the two objectives 2.3, 2.4 of the depth camera 2 overlap.

(19) Similarly to FIG. 1, the objectives 2.3, 2.4 of the depth camera 2 are arranged in the present case so that the genital region 4 of the slaughter pig 1 can be captured diagonally from above.

(20) FIG. 2b shows the device according to the invention in a further exemplary embodiment as a top view, wherein this is an alteration of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2a.

(21) In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the depth camera 2 is also designed as a stereo camera system having two objectives 2.3 and 2.4, wherein each objective 2.3, 2.4 has a separate capture region 3.3, 3.4 in the present case, wherein, as in FIG. 2a, the depth camera capture region 3 represents the region in which the capture regions 3.3, 3.4 of the two objectives 2.3, 2.4 of the depth camera 2 overlap.

(22) Similarly to FIG. 1, the objectives 2.3, 2.4 of the depth camera 2 are arranged in the present case so that the genital region 4 of the slaughter pig 1 can be captured diagonally from above.

(23) In the refinement disclosed here, the depth camera 2 additionally has a pattern projector 7, by means of which a texture 8, for example, a strip pattern, can be projected onto the surface of the slaughter pig 1, in particular in the region of the genital region 4.

(24) Because the surface of the slaughter pig 1 is substantially unstructured, the application of the pattern projector 7 has proven to be particularly advantageous, because height/depth differences present on the surface stand out due to the generated texture 8 and particularly effective capture of the spatial coordinates and in particular the depth values of the respective pixels can be provided.

(25) FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of the device according to the invention in a top view.

(26) In the illustrated embodiment of the device, the depth camera 2 is designed as a first depth camera 2.1 having a first depth camera capture region 3.1, wherein the genital region 4 of the slaughter pig 1 can be captured in a rear-hindquarters view in the first depth camera capture region 3.1.

(27) As FIG. 3 shows, the device additionally has a second depth camera 2.2 having a second depth camera capture region 3.2.

(28) The second depth camera 2.2 is arranged in this case so that the genital region 4 of the slaughter pig 1 can be captured in a belly view in the second depth camera capture region 3.2.

(29) The depth cameras 2.1 and 2.2 can be positioned in congruent locations in the present case by means of the positioning device 5, so that as a special advantage, the genital region 4 of the slaughter pig 1 can be captured on both sides and the sex identification result of the device according to the invention can thus be optimized.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(30) 1 slaughter pig 2 depth camera 2.1 first depth camera 2.2 second depth camera 2.3 first objective 2.4 second objective 3 depth camera capture region 3.1 first depth camera capture region 3.2 second depth camera capture region 3.3 capture region of the first objective 3.4 capture region of the second objective 4 genital region 5 positioning device 6 analysis unit 7 pattern projector 8 texture 9 tubular rail