Smart Counting Danish Crown
Accurate and verifiable pig counting
Danish Crown has digitized the process of receiving pigs at its slaughterhouses in Sæby, Herning, Blans, and Horsens. With Smart Counting, pigs are counted automatically and accurately upon arrival. The precise count provides peace of mind for both the seller and the buyer through video documentation. Smart Counting has a 99.6% accuracy rate.
A shift from manual counting to AI-based technology
In November 2020, the first AI-based video system was installed at the slaughterhouse in Blans, with the aim of evaluating the technology and its accuracy. Just under a year later, Smart Counting was also installed at the slaughterhouses in Sæby, Herning, and Horsens, leading Danish Crown to conclude that the video technology behind Smart Counting was so precise that it was possible to replace manual counting with AI technology. The transition from manual counting freed up resources and gave Danish Crown the opportunity to use the video footage to document the number of pigs.
Smart Counting works by precisely capturing the pig’s body through specific points, allowing the system to distinguish between individual pigs based on their unique physical characteristics as they pass the ceiling-mounted camera. The camera is able to “remember” the pigs, so that when the same pig runs back, it will be redirected until it runs “the right way” again.
Smart Counting in the production herd
Smart Counting is not only a system suitable for slaughterhouses, but can also be effectively used on the farm, where the Smart Counting Edge Intelligence Platform (EIP) can be easily moved between barns. The ability to move the device between barns optimizes the system’s capacity. Smart Counting can be used for both piglets and market hogs.
The EIP is a control unit that can be easily mounted on a wall; it is used to start and stop the counting process, and data is stored for a specified period (typically 30 days). Smart Counting is now a subscription-based solution and consists of one or more cameras, depending on your needs, as well as the counting unit (EIP) itself. The EIP is connected via a cable connector.