Yahoo News Facial recognition cameras used to read when pigs are happy and sad
Scientists are using facial recognition technology to work out if pigs are happy or sad – by reading the emotion from their faces.
Pigs are expressive animals, and previous research has show that they have expressions which can signal their intentions to other pigs – or show that they are in distress.
Researchers at the project hope that they can identify when pigs are in distress or in pain – and improve their welfare.
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Researchers at SRUC’s Pig Research Centre in Midlothian are capturing 3D and 2D facial images of the breeding sow population, in typical situations, to work out how to ‘read’ the animals’ emotions.
Dr Emma Baxter from SRUC said: ‘Early identification of pig health issues gives farmers the potential to improve animal wellbeing by tackling any problems quickly and implementing tailored treatment for individuals.
‘By focusing on the pig’s face, we hope to deliver a truly animal-centric welfare assessment technique, where the animal can ‘tell’ us how it feels about its own individual experiences and environment.’
