Integrating computer vision algorithms and RFID system for identification and tracking of group-housed animals: an example with pigs

Abstract

Precision livestock farming aims to individually and automatically monitor animal activity to ensure their health, well-being, and productivity. Computer vision has emerged as a promising tool for this purpose. However, accurately tracking individuals using imaging remains challenging, especially in group housing where animals may have similar appearances. Close interaction or crowding among animals can lead to the loss or swapping of animal IDs, compromising tracking accuracy. To address this challenge, we implemented a framework combining a tracking-by-detection method with a radio frequency identification (RFID) system. We tested this approach using twelve pigs in a single pen as an illustrative example. Three of the pigs had distinctive natural coat markings, enabling their visual identification within the group. The remaining pigs either shared similar coat color patterns or were entirely white, making them visually indistinguishable from each other. We employed the latest version of the You Only Look Once (YOLOv8) and BoT-SORT algorithms for detection and tracking, respectively. YOLOv8 was fine-tuned with a dataset of 3,600 images to detect and classify different pig classes, achieving a mean average precision of all the classes of 99%. The fine-tuned YOLOv8 model and the tracker BoT-SORT were then applied to a 166.7-min video comprising 100,018 frames. Results showed that pigs with distinguishable coat color markings could be tracked 91% of the time on average. For pigs with similar coat color, the RFID system was used to identify individual animals when they entered the feeding station, and this RFID identification was linked to the image trajectory of each pig, both backward and forward. The two pigs with similar markings could be tracked for an average of 48.6 min, while the seven white pigs could be tracked for an average of 59.1 min. In all cases, the tracking time assigned to each pig matched the ground truth 90% of the time or more. Thus, our proposed framework enabled reliable tracking of group-housed pigs for extended periods, offering a promising alternative to the independent use of image or RFID approaches alone. This approach represents a significant step forward in combining multiple devices for animal identification, tracking, and traceability, particularly when homogeneous animals are kept in groups.