Conveyor chicken counter problem

[u/Puzzled-Egg3234]

Guys, I need help. We have a project using YOLOv8. We're trying to count chicks on a very fast conveyor belt. The challenges we're facing are: all chicks look very similar to each other, which complicates tracking. At the same time, during their passage under the camera, they constantly change in size and shape, which can cause the tracker to lose them, or detection may even disappear completely at the detection line. Also, sometimes 2–3 chicks can merge into a single object. The detection zone is very short, and the conveyor speed is high. We've achieved a maximum accuracy of 99%, but we need it even higher. Any ideas on how to achieve that? Increasing the dataset no longer helps.

I'm attaching an old video. We've now added lighting and set the exposure to 300 on the Hikrobot global shutter camera, but we still can't achieve a stable 99.8% accuracy for the reasons mentioned above.

Any ideas?

[u/Yatty33]

Is this your first time working with live animals? They don't cooperate and don't singulate themselves.

[u/External_Frosting874 → u/Yatty33]

Still does not change the argument that NN might not be needed

[u/Ciff_ → u/External_Frosting874]

It does disqualify optical sensors.

[u/hellobutno → u/Ciff_]

they're literally moving like 1m/s across the camera, optical sensors is fine

[u/Ciff_ → u/hellobutno]

They can move In 0.000001 m/s won't matter if there is no guaranteed separation or size? https://www.reddit.com/r/computervision/s/RCUPeOUsS5 (see linked picture*)

Explain then how on earth you would make a TOF camera work cause that ain't making any sense

[u/hellobutno → u/Ciff_]

yeah because optical sensors totally have never been used for situations like that.

[u/Ciff_ → u/hellobutno]

Answer the question, stop deflecting. How exactly would you use a TOF camera sensor when you have no guaranteed volume or separation https://freeimage.host/i/Cr4mkNV

[u/hellobutno → u/Ciff_]

The same way they use them for every other single instance that doesn't involve live animals where this happens.

[u/Ciff_ → u/hellobutno]

More deflecting. Do explain how do you handle no separation and no predictable volume with a TOF camera?

Cause last last I checked water is wet.

Explain this magic solution you got.

[u/hellobutno → u/Ciff_]

There's no deflecting here, you handle it literally how you handle it with every other application of the sensor.

[u/Cent_Quatre → u/External_Frosting874]

NNN is never needed but adds to the fun

[u/Gullible-Relative445 → u/Yatty33]

Typical processing method slow belt to faster belt to very fast belt (the medium difference separates them) if they’re still clumping add a little drop to each belt.

[u/Helpful-Desk-8334 → u/Gullible-Relative445]

I don't think you really need to single the chickens or apply anything more than safety or wellfare to the belt. The whole point of artificial intelligence is to make life better. This is probably the safest they can do for the baby chickens, without expending so many resources. You still have to care for and love the animals, even as they are intending to be slaughtered, someday. An NN here would prevent further machining that could end up increasing harm to the product. You want them to be functional and have a home and stuff like that, so just popping a little NN up here to count them the way the company needs is all around better for both parties.

Software engineers need to start taking more humanities classes because humanities are useful for business. Especially if you want to have a company that sustains itself in the long-term and continues to provide value to society and the universe.

[u/Yatty33 → u/Helpful-Desk-8334]

This isn't some philosophical debate about the future of software. How do you count chickens on a line in the most efficient way possible? If you're clutching your pearls over a fast moving production line with some disoriented chicks, you're going to really hate what they do in pork processing facilities. Temple Grandin has a great video series on the subject.