General Discover these live demos during the ILVO Agritech Day

During Agritech Day, you can learn about ILVO's TEF Agrifood, a comprehensive Test and Experiment Facility to accelerate applications of AI, robotics and data in the agrifood sector. After all, the livestock farming of the future combines the smartest sensors with AI, edge computing and machine learning.

This is the impressive series of live demos you can expect on June 18 starting at 1:30 p.m. at ILVO Animal in Melle.

Registration for the Agritechdag + Cool Energy Event is recommended.

DEMO Ultra-Wideband (UWB) localization adds new dimensions to Precision Livestock Farming (PLF)

To monitor complex cattle behavior, existing sensors often fall short. Adding real-time UWB localization literally adds extra dimensions. This significantly increases the accuracy of behavior detection. Classic: feeding, rumination, draft, calving, but also drinking, movement and social behavior. Integrating various sensor technologies, big data and AI into one monitoring system thus takes PLF to the next level for your eyes.
(Animal species: cattle/pigs/poultry)

DEMO Meat quality quickly and non-destructively estimated via hyperspectral camera and machine learning

Is this a pork, beef, chicken or lamb burger? Our hyperspectral camera combined with machine learning classifies different types of minced meat in an automatic, non-contact and non-destructive way. Meat quality parameters can also be estimated. This demo is highly recommended for companies active in the meat industry! But the technology certainly also offers solutions for other applications in the agri-food sector: input control, process optimization, quality control, ... Get inspired and together we will gladly look at which pilot tests we can set up for your company!
( Animal species: cattle / pigs / poultry)

Ammonia emissions reduction: Reliably evaluate new techniques and products

Nitrogen is a hot topic. ILVO is researching a lot of different techniques and products that can reduce ammonia emissions. But how can we reliably measure ammonia emissions? Discover in this demo how the effect of fertilizer additives is studied with in-house developed manure containers and how we can test new techniques and products in practical conditions in our Pig Campus and Cattle PAS barns. (Animal species: cattle / pigs / poultry)

DEMO Heat pumps and PV-T panels provide clean energy in livestock production - RES4LIVE

In 2023, the ILVO/UGent Pig Campus was equipped with 2 heat pumps, an 800-liter storage tank, and 24 PV-T panels (2-in-1 PV panel and solar collector). Thus, we explore feasibility and cost to bring renewable energy to the livestock sector. The RES4LIVE project explores how renewable energy sources, including PV-T panels and heat pumps, can profitably replace fossil fuels. How can we help you make the move to clean energy? (Animal species: cattle/pigs/poultry)

DEMO: AI and edge computing for combination grazing and PLF

The rise of AI and edge computing offers enormous potential for the development of new PLF techniques. For example, they allow for continuous and energy-efficient monitoring of livestock location and behavior. A task that current GPS sensors fail at. In this inspiring demo, feed intake during cattle grazing is monitored. This allows livestock farmers to feed their cows more accurately, even with grazing. Wondering how AI and edge-computing can also take your innovations to the next level?

DEMO No AI without data. DjustConnect lightens the load!

To enable the development of AI applications, data is needed...a lot of data. But as a company, how do you get to all this data efficiently and with the right permissions? DjustConnect offers solutions. Besides the IT infrastructure to securely share data from the agri-food sector, we also offer technical, legal and network support tailored to your AI project. Visit the demo and discover all the possibilities from your early idea to end-to-end testing of your application. (animal species: cattle / pigs / poultry)

Smart nebulization lowers temperature and improves breathing!

DEMO - Fine nebulization is misused in many places. Indeed, timely stopping misting is crucial to avoid a sauna effect, in which humidity becomes too high and heat load for the animals increases rather than decreases. The climate-controlled nebulization system in the ILVO/UGent Pig Complex lowers the temperature by as much as 2.5°C during periods of extreme heat. This lowers respiratory rate and heat stress in the pigs, significantly improving their comfort and welfare. (Animal species: cattle/pigs/poultry)

Sensors and artificial intelligence are taking animal welfare monitoring to an unprecedented level!

Traditional welfare monitoring is complex, time-consuming and expensive. New sensors combined with artificial intelligence can monitor welfare indicators in pigs and chickens automatically, continuously and on a large scale. This allows animal welfare to be monitored on the farm, during (un)loading and transport and at the slaughterhouse. With this technology, the industry is jumping from sporadic and limited welfare monitoring to comprehensive, real-time monitoring. Find out here how technology can also improve the lives of our farm animals! (Animal species: fattening pigs / broilers)

DEMO AI algorithms teach cameras as a dairy farmer watches claws

Claw problems have a strong negative impact on cow welfare and severe economic consequences for a dairy farm. Thus, attention to claw health and early detection of problems is extremely important. This demo illustrates how various sensors, infrared images, color photos and a self-learning AI algorithm support the dairy farmer in monitoring claw health. Be inspired by how sensor data and smart algorithms can define the precision farming of the future.

DEMO AI in the Farrowing Pen: preventing piglet mortality with automatic image processing

Discover how AI, monitors sows and piglets in the farrowing pen 24/7 to detect early signs of distress and prevent piglet mortality. With real-time monitoring and accurate detection, farmers can act quickly to ensure the health of sows and piglets, maximizing herd productivity. (animal species: pig)

DEMO What does a cow drink? Monitoring water consumption is untapped source of knowledge!

In the ILVO dairy cattle pilot barn, we can compare different drinking water sources: tap water, rainwater, and groundwater. We monitor water consumption in detail and validate systems to gain more insight into individual water intake and drinking behavior of dairy cows. Accurate monitoring of drinking water consumption is also possible in the pilot pig and poultry barns. After all, drinking water monitoring deserves more attention than it currently receives. How does answering the following questions help your farm move forward? How much do farm animals drink and should they drink? How do I monitor drinking water consumption at the barn, group or even animal level? Which alternative water sources can a farm use and what are important points of attention? (Animal species: cattle / pigs / poultry)

DEMO Multifunctional platform broiler chickens

Chickens like to sleep and rest in the heights. Laying hens use a perch for this purpose. For broiler chickens, however, a raised platform is recommended because they have difficulty keeping their balance on a perch. We present here a prototype platform for broiler chickens that is equipped with three additional functionalities to increase its positive effect and encourage its application in practice: 1) a dark and screened area under the platforms where the young chicks can shelter and rest; 2) water-cooled tubes that allow the chickens on the platform to cool down through their soles during periods of heat stress, and 3) the collection and removal of manure directly under the platforms for better litter quality and less ammonia formation. (Animal species: broiler chickens)

Measuring enteric emissions in cattle under different conditions

Measuring enteric emissions such as methane and carbon dioxide in individual animals is challenging. Depending on the research goal, very specific measurements in highly controlled conditions are desired (ILVO gas exchange chambers), or the conditions are just expected to be as close as possible to real-life conditions (e.g. GreenFeed measurement devices), both in the barn and at pasture. The available sensor technology and measurement setups allow responding to the research question and specific needs. (Animal species: mainly cattle)