Japan University Develops Smart Glasses that Visually Measures Pig’s Weight

The engineering department of the University of Miyazaki in Japan has developed glasses that can visually measure the weight of a pig.

According to the press release of the university, the development of the smart glasses was led by Professor Norihito Kawasue of the Faculty of Engineering using a combination of technologies. The device is composed of a 3D camera to collect measurements, tilt sensors to detect the orientation of the user’s head, and smart glasses to display the numerical results.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) were also used to estimate the weight of pigs from any direction.

The device works by capturing an image of the pig using the 3D camera. The image will then be transferred to a computer for analysis and display the estimated weight of the pig on the glasses in real-time. The glasses can be used hands-free, which can significantly decrease the strenuous work required in manually weighing pigs through the weighing scale, which usually takes two to three people to perform. The device currently has a single-digit margin of error and according to the report, significant deviations in the weight can be factored from the pig’s feed and water intake.

According to the university, its development may streamline work in the domestic pig farming industry, improving profit margin, and can possibly turn the industry into a rewarding profession for younger generations.

Patent for the technology is currently underway, and more research will be done to improve its accuracy. Hopefully, the technology will be available as a commercial product within at least two years, according to Kawasue.

SOURCE: University of Miyazaki, Mainichi