Use of robotics in broiler production systems: a relationship between technology, environment and production.

Journal: Tropical animal health and production
PMID:

Abstract

In poultry farming, robotics is represented by robotic models which perform different functions. Among these functions, ambience is one of the most critical, as the aviary is an artificial environment which needs to present all the necessary conditions for the thermoregulatory maintenance of animals. This paper is a review of the technological status of robotics, ambience and associated technologies in modern poultry farming. A combination of two methodological literature review techniques (systematic and bibliometric) was used to identify how robotics is being used in poultry farming, its relationship with the environment and trends. Thresholds for various ambience parameters (such as thermal, chemical and physical) were evaluated based on data from the literature. Results showed several robots which perform different functions in poultry houses and the environment is characterized as just one of the possibilities and that presents deficiencies due to the lack of high-performance communication, thus preventing assertive decision-making. Most of the research was carried out in the last four years, with China, the United States and the United Kingdom being the countries which published the most. The trends are that computer vision is the most exploited technology in robots related to production automation (e.g. handling and navigation) and artificial intelligence and the internet of things related to robots in the production system (e.g. ambience and information management).

Authors

  • Glauber da Rocha Balthazar
    Ambience Research Center, Department of Biosystems Engineering - Luiz de Queiroz College of AgricultureESALQ/USP), University of São, Av. Pádua Dias, 11- São Dimas, PauloPiracicaba, São Paulo, ZIP Code 13418-900, Brazil. glauberbalthazar@gmail.com.
  • Robson Mateus Freitas Silveira
    Department of Animal Science, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. robsonmateusfs1994@gmail.com.
  • Iran José Oliveira da Silva
    Ambience Research Center, Department of Biosystems Engineering - Luiz de Queiroz College of AgricultureESALQ/USP), University of São, Av. Pádua Dias, 11- São Dimas, PauloPiracicaba, São Paulo, ZIP Code 13418-900, Brazil.