Pignet

Detecting good vibrations, with pigs

Welcome to Pignet! 

Pignet is a collaborative research project with several universities across the globe, sponsored by Betagro farm in Thailand. We put sensors on pig pens to detect pig behaviors relating to the health and management of sows and piglets.

Pignet is

  • The first system that uses structural vibration to track animal behavior
  • The first system that detects piglet nursing
  • Able to detect approaching birth one day in advance

Why monitor pigs?

Pig farming is a huge industry worldwide, and there is a vested interest in monitoring the growth and health of pigs. In pig production, farrowing mortality, pre-weaning mortality and quality of the piglets are major economic factors for farm owners. Implementing automatic monitoring throughout the high-risk farrowing and pre-weaning periods could help farmers to reduce risk and better protect their livestock

On average, monitoring the birth event halves the number of related deaths

  • Detect onset of birth

After birth, sow maternal behaviors can hurt piglet survival

  • Detect nursing
  • Detect sow movements

Why use vibration sensors?

Pignet is the first system to use structural vibration to monitor animal behavior. Pigs in a pen cause unique vibration patterns in the structure floor every time they move.

For example, when a pig walks, their footsteps create vibration in the pen structure. When they lie down, their weight changes the natural vibration of the structure. By sensing this vibration, we can infer the different activities of the animals.

Advantages:

  • Inexpensive and easy to install (1-3 sensors per pen)
  • No need to attach device to the animals
  • Low storage and bandwidth requirements

If you would like any support, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Office Hours: Monday to Friday (except holidays), 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Please email to help@cmkl.ac.th

Walk-in at the office (608 Bridge)

Questions?

If you have any question, do not hesitate to contact us.