Investigation and application of tracking algorithm on behaviour analysis for weaners housed in two-climate pens

M. Wang, Mona Lilian Vestbjerg Larsen, D Liu, Tomas Norton

Research output: Contribution to book/anthology/report/proceedingArticle in proceedingsResearchpeer-review

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Abstract

Computer vision based methods for tracking animals such as pigs have recently been studied. However, most studies focus on algorithm development and not on its application for behaviour analysis. The current study explores how a developed tracking algorithm could be applied in the monitoring of short-lasting event behaviours in weaners, including locomotor play and aggression, wherein the need to retain identity of the performing pig for the full duration of the behaviour is a key contsraint. The involved videos were collected from weaners housed in two-climate pens, which include a cover to provide a resting place with higher temperature. This type of housing presents a challenge when developing tracking algorithms due to pigs disappearing and reappearing from the cover, which typically happens when they perform locomotor play and aggression. To deal with such a senario it is necessary to engineer features beyond Intersection over Union (IoU) to achieve sufficient re-ID information for tracking the pigs. This study focused on extracting features for short-time animal tracking of pig agression and playing by designing re-ID features and utilizing these in combination with IoU to improve the tracking. Twenty video clips including locomotor play and aggression behaviours were selected to test the tracking algorithm. The tracking percentage per individual was 75.15% and 54.62% and the ID switching frequency per individual was 0.23 and 0.41 for locomotor play and aggression respectively. The results indicate that the algorithm is more applicable to one involving short-lasting behaviour rather than multiple pigs with the case of reappearance.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationPrecision Livestock Farming '22 : Papers presented at the 10th European Conference on Precision Livestock Farming
EditorsM Berckmans, M Oczak, M Iwersen, K Wagener
Number of pages6
PublisherVetmeduni
Publication dateSept 2022
Pages417-422
ISBN (Print)978-83-965360-0-6
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2022
Event10th European Conference on Precision Livestock Farming - Vienna, Austria
Duration: 29 Aug 20222 Sept 2022
Conference number: 10

Conference

Conference10th European Conference on Precision Livestock Farming
Number10
Country/TerritoryAustria
CityVienna
Period29/08/202202/09/2022

Keywords

  • aggression
  • animal behaviour
  • animal welfare
  • locomotor play
  • tracking
  • two-climate pens

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