Animal related apparatus
AssigneeAlfa Laval Agri AB
InventorUzi Birk
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An animal related apparatus is provided for automatically performing an animal related operation, comprising a robot arm (4), a camera means (8) provided with at least one lens and a light source means (6). According to the invention, said camera means (8) is arranged on said robot arm (4); the light source means (6) is arranged in relation to said camera means (8) such that an object to be viewed is illuminated from substantially the same direction as it is viewed; and said light source means (6) is a flash light means adapted to supply at least one short, intensive light flash for illumination of a part of an animal to be viewed by said camera means.
Claims18
An animal related apparatus for automatically performing an animal related operation, comprising a robot arm, a camera means provided with at least one lens and a light source means,
- characterized in that:
- said camera means is arranged on said robot arm;
- a paid light source means is arranged in relation to said camera means such that an object to be viewed is illuminated from substantially the same direction as it is viewed;
- and in that:
- said light source means is a flash light means adapted to supply at least one short, intensive light flash for illumination of a part of an animal to be viewed by said camera means.
A method of performing an animal related operation including an animal related apparatus according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized by the following sequence:
- directing said camera means and said light source means towards a part of an animal by means of a robot arm;
- controlling said light source means to supply at least one short intensive light flash;
- analyzing a captured image for establishing the position of said part of the animal;
- moving said robot arm at least partly towards said part of the animal;
- performing an animal related operation
- in case the part of the animal has been safely identified;
- and
- in case the robot arm has moved sufficiently close to the part of the animal to allow said animal related operation to be performed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.