JP7291944B2 - WEARABLE DEVICE FOR LIVESTOCK, SENSOR DEVICE ATTACHMENT, AND SENSOR DEVICE INSTALLATION METHOD - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a livestock wearable device, a sensor device attachment, and a mounting method of the sensor device.

In recent years, while the number of livestock workers has been decreasing and aging, the number of livestock raised per household is increasing, and it is becoming difficult to allocate sufficient time to observe each animal. Moreover, in the future, price competition for livestock products with overseas markets is expected to intensify, making labor saving and cost reduction in livestock production an urgent issue. For this reason, there is a growing need for technology that can constantly monitor the health conditions of a large number of livestock.

On the other hand, for example, information acquired from a wearable device attached to the cow and a position information sensor provided in the management area allows the cow to feed, drink, walk, lie down, run, stand still, estrus, Techniques for managing which rumination activity is being performed have been proposed (Patent Document 1, etc.). Documents disclosing that such a wearable device is attached to the tail of a cow are also known (Patent Document 2, etc.).

JP 2018-7613 A WO2016/174840

However, when trying to fix a wearable device to the tail of a livestock by the conventional method, blood flow is hindered due to the fact that it is attached with a considerable amount of tightening strength to prevent it from falling off, and it is removed for several hours every few days. response was required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology that allows livestock to wear a wearable device non-invasively and for a long period of time.

In order to solve the above problems, the livestock wearable device according to the present invention includes:
A wearable device attached to a livestock to be managed,
a sensor device comprising a biosensor for acquiring biometric information of the livestock;
a sensor holding belt including a sensor holding portion in which the sensor device is stored;
an adhesive material portion provided on one surface side of the sensor holding belt and attached to the tail of the livestock;
and a hook-and-loop fastener belt provided on the other side of the sensor holding belt.

The above-mentioned "hook-and-loop fastener belt" is a belt having a hook-and-loop fastener structure formed so that one predetermined area and another predetermined area are detachably engaged. The structure of hook-and-loop fasteners generally has a hook-and-loop structure in which a region formed with hook-shaped fine protrusions and a region formed with loop-shaped fine protrusions are engaged, but this is not always the case. is not limited to For example, it may be such that different regions formed with hook-shaped fine protrusions are engaged with each other. Further, the region in which the hook-shaped fine protrusions are formed and the region in which the loop-shaped fine protrusions are formed may be the same region. For example, regions in which hook-shaped fine protrusions and loop-shaped fine protrusions are formed at approximately the same density may be formed over both surfaces of the hook-and-loop fastener belt. Also, the “hook shape” does not necessarily refer only to a hook shape, but includes general shapes such as a mushroom shape and a shark tooth shape that are separably engaged with opposing fine projections.

With a wearable device having such a configuration, the fastening force can be made relatively gentle by combining fixing by the adhesive force of the adhesive material part and fixing by fastening the hook-and-loop fastener belt. can be non-invasively attached to managed livestock. As a result, the obstruction of blood flow is reduced, and the wearing state can be maintained for a long period of time.

Further, the adhesive material portion may be made of urethane gel. Here, "urethane gel" refers to a gel-like substance composed of a compound having a urethane group. By using urethane gel with high flexibility and self-adhesiveness, it becomes possible to mount the device more noninvasively. In addition, the use of urethane gel enables peeling and re-adhering, so that the device can be used continuously.

Further, the adhesive material portion may have projections formed over a predetermined range on the surface of the adhesive material portion. The projection may have various shapes, such as, for example, a group of small flakes, or a linear shape extending in the horizontal direction of the adhesive material. is formed over With such a structure, the protrusions are caught on the livestock's skin (body hair), so that the device can be attached to the livestock more firmly.

In addition, the hook-and-loop fastener belt includes a hook portion in which only hook-shaped fine protrusions are formed and a loop portion in which only loop-shaped fine protrusions are formed, and the hook portion and the loop portion each have the surface It may be provided on different surfaces of the fastener belt. With such a configuration, it is possible to attach the hook-and-loop fastener even when the belt is wound multiple times, so that the degree of fastening with the hook-and-loop fastener belt can be arbitrarily adjusted.

Further, the sensor holding portion may be provided near the center in the length direction of the sensor holding belt.

Further, the livestock wearable device is attached to the tail of the livestock, and the biosensors include a thermometer that acquires body surface temperature data of the livestock and a tail acceleration data of the livestock. and a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, wherein the sensor device determines whether the livestock is in a standing position or a lying position based on the acceleration data of the tail of the livestock. good.

In this way, the present invention can be suitably applied to locations suitable for sensing acceleration, such as the tails of livestock. However, there is no restriction on the location where the device is attached, and the size of the device can be appropriately set according to the location where the device is attached.

Moreover, the sensor device may further include wireless communication means for transmitting at least the information acquired by the biosensor. With such a configuration, the information acquired by the biosensor can be transmitted to a remote location, and sensing data can be acquired even if livestock is put out to graze with the wearable device attached.

Further, a sensor device attachment device according to the present invention is a sensor device attachment device for attaching to livestock a sensor device having a biosensor for acquiring biometric information of a livestock to be managed, wherein the sensor device is accommodated in the livestock. an adhesive material portion provided on one side of the sensor holding belt and attached to the tail of the livestock; and a sensor holding belt provided on the other side of the sensor holding belt. and a hook-and-loop fastener belt.

By using such attachments, it is possible to non-invasively attach any sensor device to the livestock to be managed over a long period of time.

Further, the adhesive material portion may have projections formed over a predetermined range on the surface of the adhesive material portion. Further, the adhesive material portion may be made of urethane gel.

Further, the sensor holding portion is formed in a concave shape having an opening on the side of the sensor holding belt on which the adhesive material portion is provided, and the adhesive material portion is formed in a portion of the sensor holding belt other than the sensor holding portion. and an opening sealing member that seals the opening of the sensor holding portion. With such a configuration, it is possible to reliably prevent the sensor device from falling off.

Further, the sensor holding portion may be provided near the center in the length direction of the sensor holding belt. Also, the sensor attachment device may be for attaching the sensor device to the tail of the livestock.

Further, a method for attaching a sensor device according to the present invention is a method for attaching a biosensor for acquiring biometric information of livestock to be managed, wherein a sensor device having the biosensor is attached to a sensor for holding the sensor. a step of housing the sensor in a holding member; a step of attaching the sensor holding member in which the sensor is accommodated to the tail of the livestock with an adhesive member; and winding a hook-and-loop fastener belt from the outside of the attached sensor holding member. and thereby securing the sensor holding member to the tail of the livestock. The adhesive member may be a urethane gel having protrusions formed over a predetermined range on the surface.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, a wearable device can be noninvasively mounted|worn with respect to livestock for a long period of time.

1A is a first diagram illustrating a configuration example of a livestock wearable device according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1B is a second diagram illustrating a configuration example of the livestock wearable device according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2A is a first diagram showing an example of protrusions formed on the adhesive material portion of Embodiment 1. FIG. 2B is a second view showing an example of a protrusion formed on the adhesive material portion of the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 3A is a first diagram illustrating a wearing state of the livestock wearable device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3B is a second diagram for explaining how the livestock wearable device according to the first embodiment is worn. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a fixture for the livestock sensor device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the flow of processing when attaching the sensor module to livestock using the sensor device attachment according to the second embodiment.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

<Embodiment 1>
First, a first example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. However, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

(Device structure)
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a livestock wearable device 1 according to the present embodiment. ). The livestock wearable device 1 according to the present embodiment is intended to be attached to the tail of a cow (adult), and is formed in a shape and size suitable for this.

As shown in FIG. 1, the livestock wearable device 1 includes a sensor holding belt 110 having a sensor holding portion 111 that houses therein a sensor module (not shown) for acquiring biological information of livestock. be. Furthermore, the livestock wearable device 1 has an adhesive material portion 120 formed inside the sensor holding belt 110 and a hook-and-loop fastener belt 130 arranged outside the sensor holding belt 110 .

The sensor module includes biosensors such as a temperature sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a pulse sensor, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, a wireless communication antenna, a battery, and the like. Further, the sensor module may have a function of determining whether the posture of the cow is the standing position or the lying position based on the acceleration data acquired by the acceleration sensor.

The sensor holding belt 110 is made of soft resin such as silicone, for example. The sensor holding portion 111 is a hollow space formed inside the sensor holding belt 110, and the sensor module is housed in the space and sealed. Therefore, the inside of the sensor holding portion 111 is kept watertight and protected from the external environment such as rain.

The adhesive material portion 120 is an adhesive layer made of urethane gel, and has projections formed over a predetermined range on the surface (that is, inside). Urethane gel is a self-adhesive ultra-soft gel-like substance, and can exhibit adhesive strength without using an adhesive. In addition, since the wearable device 1 for livestock is fixed while the adhesive material portion 120 is in contact with the livestock, the burden on the body of the livestock can be greatly reduced. can be done.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of protrusions formed on the inner surface of the adhesive material portion 120. As shown in FIG. The protrusions can have various shapes, and for example, as shown in FIG. 2A, scale-like small protrusions may be formed over the entire surface of the adhesive material portion 120 . Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2B, a plurality of linear protrusions may be formed in a zigzag pattern along the longitudinal direction of the adhesive material portion 120. As shown in FIG. Also, although not shown, a small thin piece protruding in the horizontal direction may be formed over the entire surface of the adhesive material portion 120 .

The hook-and-loop fastener belt 130 has a hook surface 131 on which hook-shaped fine protrusions are formed on the inside and a loop surface 132 on which loop-shaped fine protrusions are formed on the outside. functions as a hook-and-loop fastener. As a result, the hook surface 131 on the inside and the loop surface 132 on the outside are stuck together in a state where the hook-and-loop fastener belt 130 is wrapped around the tail of the cow, so that the inside of the hook-and-loop fastener belt 130 is fixed to the tail of the cow. can do. Incidentally, the side on which the hook surface and the loop surface are formed may be opposite.

(installation method)
Next, a method for attaching the livestock wearable device 1 according to the present embodiment to livestock will be described. When attaching the livestock wearable device 1 to the tail of the cow, the user brings the adhesive material portion 120 into close contact with the tail of the cow and winds the sensor holding belt 110 along the circumference of the tail of the cow. As a result, the livestock wearable device 1 is attached to the tail of the cow due to the adhesiveness of the adhesive material portion 120 . Further, the hook-and-loop fastener belt 130 is wound along the circumferential direction of the cow's tail from the outside thereof, and the hook surface 131 and the loop surface 132 are bonded together. As a result, the livestock wearable device 1 is attached to the tail of the cow.

FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a state in which the wearable device 1 for livestock according to the present embodiment is attached to the tail of a cow, and FIG. 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the wearable device 1 for livestock attached to the tail of a cow. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing; As shown in FIG. 3B , when the livestock wearable device 1 is worn, the adhesive material portion 120 is placed around the tail of the cow, the sensor holding belt 110 (the main body) is placed outside the tail, and the sensor holding belt 110 (the main body) is placed outside the tail. , the hook-and-loop fastener belt 130 is arranged in a multi-layered structure.

According to the wearable device 1 for livestock having the configuration described above, a relatively gentle fastening force is achieved by combining fixation by adhesiveness of the adhesive material portion 120 and fixation by fastening the hook-and-loop fastener belt 130. can be In addition, by using urethane gel, which is super-soft, has self-adhesion and high cushioning properties, for the adhesive material part 120, the burden on the body of livestock wearing the livestock wearable device 1 is greatly reduced. can do. Therefore, it is possible to attach the wearable device to livestock noninvasively for a long period of time.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG.

(Structure of fixture)
FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the sensor device attachment 2 and the sensor module 20 according to this embodiment. In the first embodiment, the sensor module is incorporated in the wearable device, but in the present embodiment, the sensor module 20 and the sensor device attachment 2 are configured separately. The sensor module 20 includes biosensors such as a temperature sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a pulse sensor, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, a wireless communication antenna, a battery, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 4, the sensor device fixture 2 includes a sensor holding belt 210 having a sensor holding portion 211 for accommodating the sensor module 20 . The sensor holding portion 211 is formed in a concave shape having an opening inside the sensor holding belt 210, and the sensor module 20 is accommodated in this concave recess.

The sensor mounting fixture 2 also includes an opening sealing member 212 of the sensor holding portion 211 formed separately from the sensor holding belt. The opening sealing member 212 is an adhesive member attached so as to seal the opening of the sensor holding portion 211 after the sensor module 20 is accommodated in the sensor holding portion 211, and is peeled off when not in use. It is integrally formed with the seat.

The sensor mounting fixture 2 further has an adhesive material portion 220 formed inside the sensor holding belt 210 and a hook-and-loop fastener belt 230 arranged outside the sensor holding belt 210 .

The adhesive material part 220 is coated with an adhesive and has a structure like a so-called double-sided tape, and in an unused state, a release paper 221 is attached to the inner adhesive surface. The configuration of the hook-and-loop fastener belt 230 is the same as in the case of the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

(How to use the attachment)
Next, a method of attaching the sensor module 20 to the livestock to be managed using the sensor device attachment tool 2 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the flow of processing when attaching the sensor module 20 to livestock using the sensor device attachment tool 2 according to the present embodiment.

A user first fits the sensor module 20 into the sensor holder 211 of the sensor device fixture 2 (step S101), and seals the opening of the sensor holder 211 with the opening sealing member 212 (step S102). Specifically, the release sheet protecting the attachment surface of the opening sealing member 212 is peeled off, and the opening sealing member 212 is attached to the sensor holding belt 210 so as to cover the entire opening of the sensor holding portion 211 .

Next, the release paper 221 is peeled off to expose the inner adhesive surface of the adhesive material portion 220, and the adhesive material portion 220 is attached to an arbitrary portion (for example, the tail) of the livestock to which the sensor module 20 is to be attached (step S103). Then, the hook-and-loop fastener belt 230 is wound along the object to be attached from the outside, and the hook surface and the loop surface are adhered and fixed (step S104). As a result, the sensor module 20 is attached to the livestock to be managed.

According to the sensor device attachment tool 2 configured as described above, a desired sensor can be attached to the livestock to be managed.

<Others>
The above description of each example is merely illustrative of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the specific forms described above. Various modifications and combinations are possible for the present invention within the scope of its technical idea. For example, the adhesive material portion of the sensor device attachment 2 of the second embodiment may be made of urethane gel as in the first embodiment. In addition, the adhesive material portion may be formed of other materials having self-adhesiveness and flexibility, such as silicon gel, instead of urethane gel.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the hook-and-loop fastener belt is integrated with the sensor holding belt, but the hook-and-loop fastener belt may be separate and detachable from the sensor holding belt. Also, various aspects of the structure of the hook-and-loop fastener belt can be employed. For example, hook-shaped fine protrusions are formed in a structure in which a region in which hook-shaped fine protrusions and loop-shaped fine protrusions are formed at a similar density is formed over both surfaces of the hook-and-loop fastener belt. The area where the loop-shaped fine protrusions are formed may be the same area. Alternatively, different regions having hook-shaped fine protrusions formed thereon may be engaged with each other.

Also, in the above embodiment, cattle are the livestock to be managed, but the livestock to be managed is not limited to cattle, and can be applied to other animals such as horses, sheep, goats, and pigs.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Livestock wearable device 2... Sensor device attachment 20... Sensor module 110, 210... Sensor holding belt 111, 211... Sensor holding part 120, 220... Adhesive material part 130 , 230 Velcro belt 131 Hook surface 132 Loop surface 212 Opening sealing member 221 Release paper 115, 121 Control unit

Claims (13)

A wearable device attached to a livestock to be managed,
a sensor device comprising a biosensor for acquiring biometric information of the livestock;
a sensor holding belt including a sensor holding portion in which the sensor device is stored;
an adhesive material portion provided on one surface side of the sensor holding belt and attached to the tail of the livestock;
a hook-and-loop fastener belt provided on the other side of the sensor holding belt,
The adhesive material portion is formed with protrusions that are attached to the fur on the skin surface of the livestock over a predetermined range on the surface of the adhesive material portion.
Wearable device for livestock. The adhesive material portion is made of urethane gel,
The wearable device for livestock according to claim 1, characterized by: In the adhesive material part,
The protrusions in the shape of small scale-like protrusions are formed over the entire adhesive material portion, or a plurality of linear protrusions are formed over the longitudinal direction of the adhesive material portion. ,
The livestock wearable device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by: The hook-and-loop fastener belt includes a hook portion in which only hook-shaped fine protrusions are formed, and a loop portion in which only loop-shaped fine protrusions are formed,
The hook portion and the loop portion are respectively provided on different surfaces of the hook-and-loop fastener belt,
The wearable device for livestock according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by: The sensor holding portion is provided near the center in the length direction of the sensor holding belt,
The wearable device for livestock according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The livestock wearable device is attached to the tail of the livestock,
The biosensor includes a thermometer that acquires body surface temperature data of the livestock, and a three-dimensional acceleration sensor that acquires tail acceleration data of the livestock,
The sensor device determines whether the livestock is in a standing position or a lying position based on acceleration data of the tail of the livestock.
The wearable device for livestock according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The sensor device further comprises wireless communication means for transmitting at least the information acquired by the biosensor,
The wearable device for livestock according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by: A sensor device attachment tool for attaching a sensor device having a biosensor for acquiring biometric information of a livestock to be managed to the livestock,
a sensor holding belt including a sensor holding portion in which the sensor device is accommodated;
an adhesive material portion provided on one surface side of the sensor holding belt and attached to the tail of the livestock;
a hook-and-loop fastener belt provided on the other side of the sensor holding belt,
The sensor holding portion is formed in a concave shape having an opening on a side of the sensor holding belt on which the adhesive material portion is provided,
The adhesive material portion is provided at a location other than the sensor holding portion on the sensor holding belt,
Having an opening sealing member that seals the opening of the sensor holding part,
Sensor device fixture. The adhesive material portion is made of urethane gel,
9. A sensor device mount according to claim 8, characterized in that: A protrusion is formed on the adhesive material portion over a predetermined range on the surface of the adhesive material portion,
10. A sensor device mount according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that: In the adhesive material part,
The protrusions in the shape of small scale-like protrusions are formed over the entire adhesive material portion, or a plurality of linear protrusions are formed over the longitudinal direction of the adhesive material portion. ,
11. A sensor device mount according to claim 10, characterized in that: The sensor holding portion is provided near the center in the length direction of the sensor holding belt,
12. A sensor device mount according to any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that: attaching the sensor device to the tail of the livestock;
13. A sensor device mount according to any one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that:

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