Assessing the applicability of 3D time-of-flight cameras for digital monitoring of cow exterior

Currently, the process of collecting linear parameters of cow exterior is mainly carried out manually, which is a labor-intensive, complex process that depends on the skills of a veterinarian. For fast and accurate grading, it is proposed to develop an intelligent system for contactless digital assessment of the exterior of cattle based on the use of video cameras and modern image analysis technologies. Such monitoring will also allow for the diagnosis of diseases and their early detection. The purpose of the study is to compare two such cameras and determine their applicability in the system being developed. We used a laboratory stand with a large number of objects at a predetermined distance from the cameras, specially developed software for processing the results and constructing a linear regression linking the real distance with the measured one. A special adjustment has been developed to reduce the camera error. As a result, it was determined that both cameras of this type have an average error of ±5 mm when measuring objects at a distance of 382 to 671 mm, taking images with an aperture of up to 60 × 45° and a resolution of up to 480 × 480 pixels. It was concluded that the error of both cameras is acceptable for equipping the system under development, not exceeding 2% per 1 m.