The HAI 4.0 Project: Using AI to Improve Animal Welfare on Farms
The HAI 4.0 (Human Animal Interaction) project, in which IRTA (Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology) participates, is focused on analyzing animal behavior through artificial intelligence in the presence of human beings. After completing the first phase, the second phase has begun and will continue until April 2024. The project aims to improve animal welfare and production on farms by automating the collection of indicators to enhance the continuous evaluation of animal well-being. This initiative responds to the challenge of consolidating and improving a production system that is increasingly respectful of animals.
The HAI 4.0 project is part of a consortium that includes companies such as the Spanish Cluster of Pig Livestock Producers (i+Porc), Ceva Salud Animal, Grupo Costa (Piensos Costa), Infoporc, and SIGMA EQT SERVEI (EQTIC, a part of the Digital Cluster of Catalonia). The project has been financed by the call for aid to Innovative Business Groups of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, with funding from the 2021 and 2023 calls involving both national and European funds.
Using artificial intelligence, the HAI 4.0 project measures the level of animal welfare on farms through cameras that record animal reactions for analysis using a deep learning algorithm. The project seeks to generate automatic results close to real time. The second phase of the project will focus on improving the tool and scaling its operations to make it more cost-efficient in terms of algorithm calculations on the servers.
Some of the key updates in the second phase of the project include evaluations of HAI against new stimuli, such as the presence of people outside the farm staff or the incorporation of background music. The project will also focus on improving artificial vision and deep learning algorithms for recognizing animals and evaluating their reactions. Additionally, the project aims to define an “HAI friendly” or “Friendly Human-Animal Interaction” seal for farms committed to this initiative.
The development of the HAI 4.0 project is expected to have a positive impact on animal welfare and environmental factors, such as improving the immune levels of animals, as well as greater efficiency in the use of resources in farm facilities. The project aims to expand knowledge about the best HAI interaction protocols and guidelines, along with the best environmental conditions to guarantee animal well-being.
In conclusion, the first phase of the project saw the development of a complete evaluation system that was tested in Piensos Costa facilities, demonstrating the technological capability of the solution to be implemented in a real environment. The HAI 4.0 project is poised to bring significant advancements in the welfare of animals on farms, setting a new standard for the industry.
Published on December 6, 2023, by IRTA.