WO2023281198A1

WO2023281198A1 - Facility for automatically determining the sex of a chick

Info

Publication number: WO2023281198A1
Application number: PCT/FR2022/051329
Authority: WO
Inventors: Romaric CHANU; Devan L'HARIDON; Damien SALAUN
Original assignee: Egg-Chick Automated Technologies
Priority date: 2021-07-08
Filing date: 2022-07-04
Publication date: 2023-01-12

Abstract

The present invention relates to a facility for determining the sex of a chick. According to the invention, this facility comprises: an inclined conveyor (4) intended to receive said chick individually at the uppermost end thereof, said inclined conveyor (4) being configured such that each chick moving freely on the descending slope is unstably balanced and voluntarily opens their wings, at least one light source (5) to illuminate said chick during at least part of its movement along said inclined conveyor (4), said light source or at least one of the light sources emitting violet light at a wavelength of between 380 nm and 420 nm, and even better still violet light at a wavelength centred on 405 nm, a matrix array camera (6) for detecting at least the visible light reflected by said chick when it is illuminated by said at least one light source (5), a central processing unit configured to process said images acquired in this way in order to isolate, in at least some of these images, the end of at least one of the wings of said chick, analyse the configuration of the feathers at said at least one end, and determine, from this configuration, whether it is a male or female chick or whether the sex is undetermined.

Description

FACILITY FOR AUTOMATIC SEX DETERMINATION

OF A CHICK

Technical field [0001] The present invention relates to an installation for the automatic determination of the sex of a chick.

Prior technique

[0002] Determining the sex of a chick at one day, or even two days of age, is generally carried out by hand by a qualified operator. [0003] Different sexing methods are known, but one of the most widespread is carried out by visual examination of the chick's feathers.

[0004] The sexing of the chick by the wings is indeed linked to a different arrangement of the feathers at the ends of the wings in the female and in the male. As illustrated in Figures 1 (female) and 2 (male), at the end of the wings of a chick, two rows of feathers can be observed, the primary flight feathers and the primary cover feathers.

[0006] While in the male, the primary cover feathers are longer, or substantially the same size, as the primary flight feathers, in the female, the end of the primary cover feathers is always shorter than the end of the feathers. primaries. [0007] This method of determining the sex of a chick is relatively quick and economical.

[0008] However, when it comes to differentiating several hundred chicks per hour, each day, with a small margin of error, as is practiced in the intensive breeding of laying hens, these operations can be prove tedious for skilled operators. [0009] In addition, today it is difficult to find a large number of workers specialized in this field, which makes this necessary step relatively expensive.

[0010] Methods for the automatic sexing of chicks are also known.

[0011] Patent FR 2 892 599 B1 in the name of the present applicant thus discloses an automatic chick sexing system using a camera to acquire images of the ends of the wings of a chick exposed to blue light and identify by analysis of these images, the characteristic arrangements of the feathers of the male or the female.

[0012] In order to ensure individual control of each chick, the latter are positioned in cups arranged in line, with their wings held apart by resting them on the rim of their respective cup. [0013] Although giving good results, the wings being stable and therefore easily imaged, this method of automatic sexing of chicks can still be improved.

[0014] Indeed, this machine is relatively bulky and complex as regards its maintenance.

[0015] Furthermore, this machine does not allow high processing rates, which are however sought today in intensive poultry farming.

[0016] In addition, the wings of each chick studied are illuminated with blue light, that is to say light having a wavelength between 450 nm and 520 nm, and for example centered on a length d wave of 470 nm.

[0017] However, it is found that with such lighting, it is difficult to distinguish the signal coming from the down from that coming from the feathers and in particular from the primaries.

[0018] This difficulty in clearly identifying the signal coming from the feathers, and in particular from the remiges, in the images can be a source of error in determining the sex of the chick.

When the measured signal does not allow a determination with a satisfactory rate of certainty, a manual reassessment by a qualified operator may be necessary, which of course is detrimental to obtaining higher rates when this number of reassessments becomes too important.

[0020] There is therefore a pressing need for a system for automatically determining the sex of chicks, the original design of which makes it possible to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art set out above.

Object of the invention

The present invention aims to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art by proposing an installation for determining the sex of chicks individually, simple in its design and in its operating mode, making it possible to significantly improve the reliability and the precision. the result (male, female, indeterminate) from the measurements carried out with this installation.

Another object of the present invention is such an installation allowing a saving of time and therefore making it possible to achieve higher processing rates than those reached with the systems of the prior art, and by way of illustration, of the order of two (2) chicks per second. Another object of the present invention is such an installation which is economical and simple, in particular in its installation in intensive livestock units. Disclosure of Invention

To this end, the invention relates to an installation for determining the sex of a chick.

According to the invention, this installation comprises: - an inclined conveyor intended to receive said chick individually at its highest end, said inclined conveyor being configured so that each chick moving freely on its downward slope voluntarily spreads its wings,

- at least one light source for illuminating said chick during at least part of its movement along said inclined conveyor, said or at least one of the light sources emitting violet light at a wavelength between 380 nm and 420 nm, and even better, violet light at a wavelength centered on 405 nm, - a matrix camera for detecting at least the visible light reflected by said chick when it is illuminated by said at least one light source ,

- a central unit configured to process said images thus acquired in order to isolate on at least some of these images the end of at least one of the wings of said chick, to analyze the configuration of the feathers at said at least one end and to determine from of this configuration if it is a male or female chick or if the sex is undetermined. [0025] Here, the term "each chick moves freely" means that each chick moves without external constraint, or else slides, along the downward slope of the inclined conveyor.

[0026] The chick is preferably presented at the upper end of the inclined conveyor so that it faces the conveyor, that is to say that its back and its wings when they are deployed face the matrix camera. [0027] This voluntary deployment, or reflex, of the wings by the chick is caused by the sliding of the chick along the downward slope and at the angle of inclination of this downward slope of the conveyor inclined with respect to the horizontal .

Preferably, the angle of inclination of the downward slope of the inclined conveyor is advantageously between 30 ^° and 60 ^° relative to the horizontal, and even better between 40 ^° and 50 ^° relative to the horizontal, and even more preferably is equal to 45 ^° .

[0029] Furthermore, the dimension of this downward slope is advantageously determined to ensure the acquisition of a minimum number of usable images on which the end of at least one wing is visible. By way of example, at least twenty (20), preferably thirty (30) images of the chick moving along the inclined conveyor are acquired.

[0030] Advantageously, the original design of this installation allows a simple and inexpensive determination of the sex of chicks with great reliability and precision.

It has been found that the illumination wavelength of said at least one light source makes it possible to increase the signal coming from the feathers placed at the ends of the wings, and in particular from the remiges, and thus to distinguish more easily the latter thus allowing easier identification of the sex of the chick.

[0032] It finds applications in particular in the intensive breeding of laying hens.

According to one embodiment of this installation for determining the sex of a chick, said or at least one of the light sources emits violet light at a wavelength centered on 405 nm, for example with a width at half maximum ("Full width at half maximum" - FWHM) of 10 nm and even better of 5 nm.

Advantageously, this lighting wavelength makes it possible to increase the contrast of the image of the feathers of the end of the wings, and in particular of the remiges. It was found that this wavelength was optimal for scattering light through the micro-bubbles included in the horn of the stem of the remiges. Thus the remiges diffuse the maximum of light.

According to another embodiment of this installation for determining the sex of a chick, this installation comprises a linear conveyor for moving chicks aligned and spaced from each other, the end of said linear conveyor leading to the upper end of the inclined conveyor.

Advantageously, the chicks transported by this linear conveyor are thus spaced out at a substantially equal pitch, allowing each chick to be processed individually by the installation for determining the sex of the chicks.

One end of this linear conveyor is placed above the highest end of the inclined conveyor so that each chick arriving at the end of the linear conveyor falls onto the inclined conveyor.

According to yet another embodiment of this installation for determining the sex of a chick, each light source comprises a plurality of luminous elements emitting light centered on a wavelength of 405 nm.

Advantageously, these luminous elements are aligned to form light bars having a longitudinal axis.

Preferably, these luminous elements are light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

According to yet another embodiment of this installation for determining the sex of a chick, said matrix camera is equipped with a bandpass filter centered on a wavelength between 390 and 410 nm, and even better at a 405 nm wavelength, or a low-pass barrier filter to block wavelengths longer than a 420 nm cut-off wavelength.

Lighting with light at a wavelength of 405 nm with a band-pass filter around 405 nm advantageously allows the feathers placed at the ends and in particular the flight feathers to diffuse the maximum amount of light, and the natural fluorescence of the chick's yellow down to be cut by the filter so that the contrast is significantly increased and the identification of the feathers facilitated.

According to yet another embodiment of this installation for determining the sex of a chick, said inclined conveyor defining an axis of movement, said installation for determining the sex of a chick comprises two light sources aligned or substantially aligned along said axis of movement being spaced apart to illuminate the ends of said wings when deployed.

Preferably, this installation also comprises two other light sources placed transversely to said axis of movement, the set of light sources thus defining a square or a rectangle.

According to yet another embodiment of this installation for determining the sex of a chick, said matrix camera is placed equidistant from the light sources of the installation.

According to yet another embodiment of this installation for determining the sex of a chick, said at least one light source is a pulsed light source.

According to yet another embodiment of this installation for determining the sex of a chick, said matrix camera being configured to acquire an image triggered by an external signal, said installation comprises a position sensor placed upstream of the field vision of said matrix camera so as to launch a data acquisition cycle for a chick whose passage is detected in a position defined by said sensor.

According to yet another embodiment of this installation for determining the sex of a chick, the lowest end of said inclined conveyor leads to a linear conveyor, said installation comprising means for sorting each chick transported by this linear conveyor according to its gender, which are placed along said linear conveyor and receiving signals from said central unit.

Preferably, this installation comprises means for evacuating each chick to another conveyor predetermined according to its sex when the latter has been determined.

According to yet another embodiment of this installation for determining the sex of a chick, it comprises a position sensor placed at the level of a linear conveyor conveying each chick towards the highest end of the inclined conveyor. , said position sensor being configured to detect the passage of chicks transported along said conveyor, and a processing unit comprising a processor for processing signals acquired by said position sensor, said processing unit comprising a set of software instructions which when they are executed by said processor, make it possible to implement a method for detecting insufficient spacing between two chicks whose sex is to be determined, in which the spacing is determined by means of a single position sensor, or distance, separating two immediately adjacent chicks transported along said linear conveyor, this distance is compared with a value reference, also called minimum spacing, and we deduce the absence or the existence of a minimum spacing between the said chicks.

[0044] For purely illustrative purposes, this position sensor being arranged to detect the downstream ends of each chick moving along the linear conveyor, the number of encoder points elapsed between the detection of these downstream ends of two immediately adjacent chicks is determined. on said conveyor by said sensor and this number of encoder points is converted into a measured distance separating these two chicks.

Since the distance traveled by the conveyor belt during an encoder revolution is known, the number of encoder points thus determined can easily be translated or converted into distance.

Remember that the number of encoder points per encoder revolution is linked to the resolution of this encoder.

The encoder advantageously emits an electric signal giving the number of encoder points made between the detection of the two downstream ends of the chicks.

Advantageously, this distance measurement separating the chicks is thus independent of the drive speed of the conveyor.

Of course, during the comparison step, a previously determined tolerance range can be taken into account. Preferably, this installation then comprises a second position sensor placed at the downstream end of said linear conveyor, before said inclined conveyor, and said set of software instructions is also configured so that when they are executed by said processor, they make it possible to stop said linear conveyor when a chick identified as not respecting a minimum spacing with a chick immediately adjacent to the previous one, also called a predecessor chick, on the linear conveyor is detected by said second sensor.

[0047] Advantageously, said set of software instructions is also configured so that when they are executed by said processor, they make it possible to start said linear conveyor again after a determined time T to allow the individual treatment of the previous chick immediately said chick identified as not respecting a minimum spacing.

By way of purely illustrative example, each position sensor is a photoelectric cell.

Brief description of the drawings

Other advantages, aims and particular characteristics of the present invention will emerge from the description which will follow, made, for the purpose of explanation and in no way limiting, with regard to the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1

[0050] [Fig. 1] shows views of the wing tip of a female chick;

Fig. 2

[0051] [Fig. 2] shows views of the wing tip of a male chick;

Fig. 3

[0052] [Fig. 3] is a schematic and partial representation of a one-day-old chick treatment unit comprising an installation for automatic determination of the sex of chicks according to a particular embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 4

[0053] [Fig. 4] is a perspective and partial view of the automatic chick sex determination installation of FIG. 3;

Fig. 5

[0054] [Fig. 5] shows images of chicks obtained under different lighting conditions;

Fig. 6

[0055] [Fig. 6] is a schematic representation of an installation for the automatic determination of the sex of chicks according to another mode of embodiment of the present invention, this installation being illustrated while a step of determining the distance separating two chicks moving on a conveyor is in progress;

Fig. 7

[0056] [Fig. 7] shows the installation of Fig. 6, the conveyor being stopped after the passage of the first of two chicks not having a sufficient safety distance between them, on the inclined conveyor for its treatment;

Description of embodiments

[0057] The drawings and the description below contain, for the most part, certain elements. They may therefore not only be used to better understand the present invention, but also contribute to its definition, if necessary.

First of all, note that the figures are not to scale.

Figures 3 and 4 schematically illustrate an installation for determining the sex of a chick according to a particular embodiment of the present invention.

This installation comprises a first linear conveyor 1 on which move chicks aligned and spaced from each other by a predetermined pitch.

These chicks come from a carousel 2 comprising a rotating platform, this carousel being configured to ensure, during the rotation of this platform, a spatial separation of the chicks introduced at its entrance so as to place the latter in line on the rotating platform.

An ejector 3 then makes it possible to eject these chicks thus separated from the carousel one by one towards the first linear conveyor 1.

This ejector 3 here comprises a gas blowing device configured to push a chick out of the carousel. Preferably, this ejection is carried out in a direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the carousel 2.

The end of this first linear conveyor 1 leads to the highest end of an inclined conveyor 4 so that this end, the highest, receives each chick individually.

[0065] The angle of inclination of the downward slope of this inclined conveyor 4 is here 45 ^° so that each chick sliding along, or even moving “freely” on, this downward slope, voluntarily spreads its wings. .

This inclined conveyor 4 does not present, here, conveyor belt but a conformation allowing the sliding of each chick. Of course, and alternatively, each chick could free fall from the downstream end of the first linear conveyor 1. However, and advantageously, the implementation of a downward slope is less stressful for the chicks. This inclined conveyor 4 determines an inclined longitudinal axis of movement.

Four light sources 5 each having a conformation in the form of a bar of LEDs, arranged parallel to the downward slope of the inclined conveyor 4 being arranged in pairs, either transversely to the axis of movement of this inclined conveyor, either parallel to this axis of movement, make it possible to illuminate said chick during at least part of its movement along said inclined conveyor.

Each of these light sources 5 emits violet light at a wavelength centered on 405 nm.

A CCD camera 6 is arranged to receive the visible light reflected by the chick moving along the inclined conveyor 4. This CCD camera 6 is advantageously equipped with a band-pass filter centered on a wavelength of 405 nm in order to filter in particular the natural fluorescence of the chick's down and to improve the contrast of the images acquired by the CCD camera 6. This CCD camera 6 with matrix sensor is preferably monochromatic.

This CCD camera 6 is used to acquire a series of images of each chick, for example at least twenty (20) images acquired consecutively, and even better forty (40) images of each chick, which the camera 6 transmits to a central processing unit such as a computer to determine the sex of the chick thus imaged.

In particular, this central unit 6 is configured to process said images thus acquired in order to isolate on at least some of these images, the end of at least one of the wings of said chick, to analyze the configuration of the feathers at said at least least one extremity and determine from this configuration if it is a male or female chick or if the sex is indeterminate.

The processing of these images is advantageously carried out in less than 400 ms.

The lowest end of the inclined conveyor 4 leads to another linear conveyor 7, which is provided with means for sorting each chick transported by this linear conveyor according to its sex. [0075] Figures 6 and 7 show a partial view of an installation for determining the sex of a chick according to another embodiment.

This installation comprises a position sensor 8 placed at the level of the linear conveyor 1 to detect the passage of chicks transported along this linear conveyor 1 and a processing unit (not shown) comprising a processor for processing signals acquired by this position sensor 8, this processing unit comprising a set of software instructions which, when executed by said processor, make it possible to implement a method of detecting 'insufficient spacing between two chicks whose sex is to be determined, in which the spacing, or distance, between two immediately adjacent chicks being transported along a linear conveyor is determined by means of a single position sensor, compared this distance relative to a reference value, also called minimum spacing, and the absence or existence of a minimum spacing between said chicks is deduced therefrom.

[0077] There is a minimum chick processing time (lighting, image capture and processing of said images) which can reach nearly 700 ms.

It is therefore necessary to ensure a minimum spacing between each chick to guarantee individual treatment of the chicks by the installation.

Thus, when the spacing between two immediately adjacent chicks on the linear conveyor 1 is determined to be insufficient, the linear conveyor is stopped when the chick placed furthest downstream on the linear conveyor, or even the so-called "predecessor" chick on the carpet, is engaged on the inclined conveyor 4 for the determination of its sex by imaging.

[0080] The calculation by the processor of the time required to take the images for a given chick and the calculated spacing between the two immediately adjacent chicks allows reliable restarting of the conveyor in order to guarantee an optimal rate.

[0081] Of course, it could be envisaged after having let a first chick pass on the inclined conveyor 4 with a view to determining its sex by imaging, to decelerate the first linear conveyor 1, or even to slow down the speed of movement of the chicks on this first conveyor, to restore sufficient spacing, or processing time, between the second chick arriving on the inclined conveyor 4 and the first chick being processed on this inclined conveyor 4. Alternatively, a slowing down of the speed of movement and a momentary stoppage of the first linear conveyor 1 could still be considered.

Claims

[Claim 1] Installation for determining the sex of a chick, characterized in that said installation comprises:

- an inclined conveyor (4) having an upper end and a lower end, said inclined conveyor being intended to receive said chick individually at its upper end, said inclined conveyor (4) being configured so that each chick moves freely on its slope descending voluntarily spreads its wings,

- at least one light source (5) for illuminating said chick during at least part of its movement along said inclined conveyor (4), said or at least one of the light sources emitting violet light at a length of wave between 380 nm and 420 nm, and even better, violet light at a wavelength centered on 405 nm,

- a matrix camera (6) for detecting at least the visible light reflected by said chick when it is illuminated by said at least one light source (5),

- a central unit configured to process said images thus acquired in order to isolate on at least some of these images the end of at least one of the wings of said chick, to analyze the configuration of the feathers at said at least one end and to determine from of this configuration if it is a male or female chick or if the sex is undetermined.

[Claim 2] Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a linear conveyor (1) for moving chicks aligned and spaced from each other, the end of the said linear conveyor (1) opening onto the upper end of the inclined conveyor (4).

[Claim 3] Installation according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each light source (5) comprises a plurality of luminous elements emitting light centered on a wavelength of 405 nm.

[Claim 4] Installation according to Claim 3, characterized in that the said luminous elements are light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

[Claim 5] Installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the said matrix camera (6) is equipped with a band-pass filter centered on a wavelength comprised between 390 and 410 nm, and preferably at a wavelength of 405 nm, or a low-pass barrier filter to block wavelengths longer than a cut-off wavelength of 420 nm.

[Claim 6] Installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the said inclined conveyor (4) defining an axis of motion, said installation for determining the sex of a chick comprises two light sources aligned or substantially aligned along said axis of motion while being spaced from each other to illuminate the tips of said wings when they are deployed.

[Claim 7] Installation according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises two other light sources placed transversely to said axis of displacement, the set of light sources thus defining a square or a rectangle.

[Claim 8] Installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the said matrix camera (6) is placed equidistant from the light sources.

[Claim 9] Installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the said at least one light source (5) is a pulsed light source (5).

[Claim 10] Installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said matrix camera (6) being configured to acquire an image triggered by an external signal, said installation comprises a position sensor placed upstream of the field of vision of said matrix camera (6) so as to launch a data acquisition cycle for a chick whose passage is detected in a position defined by said sensor.

[Claim 11] Installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower end of the said inclined conveyor (4) leads to a linear conveyor (1), the said installation comprising means for sorting each chick transported by this conveyor conveyor (1) according to its sex, which are placed along said linear conveyor (1) and receiving signals from said central unit.

[Claim 12] Installation according to any one of claims 2 to 11, characterized in that it comprises a position sensor placed at the level of said linear conveyor (1) to detect the passage of chicks transported along said conveyor and a unit processing unit comprising a processor for processing signals acquired by said position sensor, said processing unit comprising a set of software instructions which, when they are executed by said processor, make it possible to implement a method for detecting a insufficient spacing between two chicks whose sex is to be determined, in which the spacing, or distance, between two immediately adjacent chicks transported along said linear conveyor (1) is determined by means of a single position sensor, this is compared distance from a reference value, again called minimum spacing, and the absence or existence of a minimum spacing between said chicks is deduced therefrom.

[Claim 13] Installation according to claim 12, characterized in that it comprises a second position sensor placed at the downstream end of said linear conveyor (1), before said inclined conveyor (4) and in that said set of software instructions are also configured so that, when executed by said processor, said linear conveyor (1) is stopped, when a chick identified as not respecting a minimum spacing with an immediately adjacent chick preceding it on the linear conveyor (1) is detected by said second sensor.

[Claim 14] Installation according to claim 13, characterized in that said set of software instructions is also configured so that, when executed by said processor, said linear conveyor (1) is started again after a time T determined to allow individual treatment of the chick immediately preceding said chick identified as not respecting a minimum spacing.

[Claim 15] Installation according to any one of Claims 12 to 14, characterized in that each position sensor is a photoelectric cell.