PIGWISE

Project information
The aim of the project is to develop an ICT based tool for performance and welfare monitoring of pigs at the individual level. Warning signs, such as alterations in animal behaviour and some other parameters, enable an early detection of diseases or environmental related problems. Since the routinely gathering behavioural information from animals to evaluate their performance and welfare is very time-consuming for farmers, the new technologies demonstrably aid this task (Wathes et al., 2008), especially with large herds. In PIGWISE, we combine automation techniques applying them to monitor the animal’s behaviour. Therefore, the above automated monitoring and decision support will detect problems at early stage preventing bigger economic losses. PIGWISE brings a broad approach combining an innovative individual online-monitoring system, based on RFID with passive HF transponders, camera vision technology and software.
Project partners: 
Division: Process Engineering
Aarhus School of Engineering
Istituto Superiore Mario Boella
Porphyrio NV
Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO)
Project dates: 
October 2011 to September 2013
Contact
Contact person: 
Engel Hessel
Contact email: 
Contact organisation: 
Division: Process Engineering
Funding
Funding agency: 
ICT and robotics for sustainable agriculture