Inventors:
Joseph A. Spicola - Tampa FL, US
Erion Hasanbelliu - Gainesville FL, US
Amir C. Rubin - Gainesville FL, US
Eric Sinzinger - Lubbock TX, US
Bradley Null - Austin TX, US
Assignee:
SPICOLA TOOL, LLC - Farwell TX
International Classification:
G06G 7/60
Abstract:
A contactless system and method for estimating the volume, mass or weight of a target animal is provided. First, the target animal is imaged, preferably with a stereoscopic camera. A spatial representation of the target animal is derived from the stereoscopic images. Next, a virtual three-dimensional spatial model is provided, preferably having a shape resembling that of a characteristic of the animal to which the target animal belongs. A software module is provided to reshape the virtual spatial model, using a finite set of independently configurable shape variables, to approximately fit the spatial representation of the individual animal. Finally, the volume, mass or weight of the target animal is estimated as a function of shape variables characterizing the reshaped virtual model.