Nobleo and Vencomatic teamed up to investigate whether embedded technology would be a viable alternative for the PLCs Vencomatic uses in its poultry farming automation solutions, and in particular in a new robotic monitoring system.

 The collaboration aimed to discover if a customised embedded software was preferable to the Raspberry-Pi-based industrial board (RevPi) that Vencomatic had used when developing a FuMo (functional model) robotic detection unit. And, on a wider scale, whether embedded solutions could replace other PLCs used in Vencomatic automated systems.

The project discussed in this article is a robotic camera system intended to detect and identify any chickens in a poultry barn which are ill (immobile) or dead. The robot unit is mounted on a rail above the racks where the chickens feed, roost and lay their eggs.

The unit moves slowly along the rail so as not to disturb the chickens. An inbuilt camera takes pictures and then uses an algorithm to detect non-active chickens. The relevant images are accessed once the robot docks at the end of its run.

From PLCs to Robots

“This project was different from anything we’d done before, for a few reasons,” says Rik Spaninks, control technology developer at the Vencomatic Group. “For a start, we almost always work with PLCs, not embedded systems. On top of that, we usually automate the behaviour of moving parts in a stationary system, whereas this was a small robot unit that actually travels autonomously on a rail through the poultry house. And our systems normally have a touch panel interface, whereas this unit had no integrated screen.”

“A Raspberi-Pi-based system, like the one used by Vencomatic, is proven technology,” says Bas Caljouw, business developer at Nobleo. “But it’s relatively expensive, and not ideal for high-volume production. If you can use a more custom-specified embedded solution (hardware and software) instead, especially for high-volume products, you can make considerable savings. An embedded controller is also more flexible and configurable; you can adapt it for other applications as well.”

Addressing vendor lock-in

“We were obviously interested in saving costs on components, and also to explore the possibility of using the same embedded approach for other applications in the future,” says Rik. “Another drawback of the PLCs in our automated systems is vendor lock-in. This can lead to significant delays when there are component shortages. If we had our own embedded system, that would no longer be a problem. When one manufacturer is not able to produce the boards we need, we could simply send the schematics to another one.”

“The issue of vendor lock-in shouldn’t be underestimated,” adds Gaston Muitjens, Nobleo software architect. “I know that Vencomatic, like many other companies, had problems sourcing components during and after COVID because of disruptions to the global supply chain. Often you don’t think about vendor dependency when things are running smoothly, but it can bring serious disruption to your business.”

From dedicated to off-the-shelf

Vencomatic’s initial hope was to have its own dedicated PCB design for the robotic detection unit, but unfortunately that wasn’t possible within the subsidy provided by the Metropool Regio Eindhoven for the project. “The development costs for a dedicated board are relatively high, with certification expenses being a significant factor,” says Gaston. “This makes a dedicated solution less suitable for low volumes. Using commercially-available, off-the-shelf boards can be advantageous if they have the required certifications.”

The solution was to use an Arduino board, specifically designed for industrial purposes, together with a system-on-module (SoM) from the same supplier – with Nobleo developing the software stack running on it. “This was something of a challenge,” says Gaston, “because we combined the SoM from one board with another PCB, which was something that Arduino themselves didn’t fully support. But we’ve been able to tackle these challenges and come up with a proof a concept.”

“An embedded environment offers many advantages,” says Bas. “Various functionalities, which were individual hardware components in the Vencomatic functional model, can be integrated into a single controller. An embedded environment is also endlessly programmable, and hardware choices (e.g. I/Os, interfaces and peripherals) can be specifically tailored to the application. The requirements for a processor and/or microcontroller can easily be expanded or reduced. Smart diagnostics enable you to optimize the system even further. And it’s possible to remotely monitor or update the system via an internet connection. The current RevPi solution has the drawback that it’s vendor-specific and only expandable to a limited extent.”

“The sky’s the limit”

“What we’re talking about here is version 1.0 of this system, which will hopefully be released in a year or so,” says Rik. “We intend to carry out the first tests in a nearby poultry farm in 2024. But looking ahead, we could do so much more with this platform. For example identifying nests that are closed but should be open, and vice versa. Monitoring if birds are avoiding certain areas because of poor ventilation. Incorporating a thermal sensor to identify a motor that’s overheating and about to fail. Or microphones that pick up stress signals from chickens which could indicate certain diseases. If you think about it that way, the sky’s the limit.”

“In the future, a single baseboard with the correct specifications (e.g. number and type of I/Os) can support multiple other sub-systems and machinery within the complete product portfolio of an OEM,” adds Bas. “This makes the embedded hardware reusable and relatively cheap in comparison to a PLC module or RevPi system, which require different specifications each time. When defining a single baseboard for multi-purpose use, a dedicated PCB design can suddenly become viable again. Additionally, the use of a SoM keeps the complexity of the baseboard, and therefore the costs, as low as possible.”

About Vencomatic

Vencomatic designs and manufactures automated systems for poultry farms. The company is based in the Venco Campus – described as the ‘world’s largest egg’ because of the shape of the building – in the southern Dutch town of Eersel. 

Vencomatic normally use PLCs in the systems it offers, which for example open and close nest boxes, transport eggs or move feed through poultry barns. 

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