10 1109@tencon 2018 8650320
10 1109@tencon 2018 8650320
10 1109@tencon 2018 8650320
bCenter for Engineering Design, Fabrication, and Innovation, College of Engineering, Technological University of the Philippines,
Manila, Philippines
*leankarlo_tolentino@tup.edu.ph
Abstract— This paper presents the development of an technology advances more and more manual techniques turns
incubation system for autonomous temperature and humidity into automated processes. Commercial state-of-the-art
control using Arduino microcontroller interfaced and coded using hatcheries now have sensors that detect these certain parameters
LabView programming. The proposed system also includes and adjust it according to the optimal value so that there will be
important functions to hatch eggs which are candling through no discrepancy in the incubation process. Though technological
infertile egg identification using basic image acquisition, and egg advancements have riddled the field of incubation of eggs,
turning that employs crank-rocker mechanism and a hatching incubation may still run into several issues. The breeder needs to
chamber. It revolves around fusing all the elements of egg check these common incubation problems: temperature
incubation and turning it into one device. It functions
difference inside the incubator, as well as humidity, inadequate
autonomously without having to consistently check and adjust to
obtain optimal parameters. By using its monitoring features, the
ventilation, irregular turning of eggs and egg sanitation [4]. With
user can have real-time data of the day-to-day status of the this, an incubator must possess a reliable program and hardware
incubator’s parameters. The speed of its automatic candling system and an accurate reading from its sensor so as to function
program is 1.129 seconds while the performance of the incubator as an effective incubator to handle the eggs for 21 days straight
held an optimal temperature of 36º Celsius with humidity between without requiring any human intervention [5]. Also, candling of
40% and 60% with an optimal level of 50%. Lastly, the hatch rate eggs need to be done by hand because traditional candling is
percentage of the incubation using the proposed system is 69.44% done manually. Besides being a tedious job because the handler
while the percentage accuracy result for detecting fertile eggs is must individually check for development of an egg, the
91.43%. temperature changes of handling the egg outside the incubator
can also affect the mortality rate of the eggs [6]. There are many
Keywords—candling, image processing, incubation, fertile egg digital techniques [7-11] that differentiate good eggs for
detection, hatching, turning incubation and bad eggs that are not fit for it, though these
researches do not apply specifically for detecting fertile eggs but
I. INTRODUCTION these studies greatly influence viability for incubation. One
method “applied an adaptive threshold based on discontinuities
Artificial incubators have been popular throughout the
determination of the filtered images for detecting eggshell
modern world as well as in the past way back ancient times.
defects such as dirt and cracks” which used 120,640 by 480
Based on historical records, [1], citing [2] and [3], mentioned
images to train the machine vision system which had an accuracy
that in ancient Egypt, eggs were incubated inside buildings
of 99% [6]. Other studies include finding blood spots and
which are made up of mud bricks divided by rooms and heated
obtaining dirt severity to classify the eggs as infertile as this
by burning straw and charcoal. They control the temperature by
influences egg fertility, such is the case of M.H. Dehrouyeh et
opening vents and manholes for the heat to escape and have
al. They have obtained an accuracy of 90.66, 91.33, 80.33% on
openings for the smoke to exit. Humidity is induced by placing
finding blood spots of egg from intact, defected and low dirt
moistened jutes inside and eggs were manually turned twice per
eggshells respectively and 88% and 86% for dirt detection on
day. It was not until the 1749 that the first mechanical incubator
high dirt and low dirt in eggshells respectively [8]. “A near-
was invented by Reamur in Paris, France and the first incubator
infrared hyperspectral imaging system was created to spot
to be commercialized was the work of Hearson in 1881 [1].
fertility and embryo development. After imaging on each day,
Artificial egg incubators’ objective is to recreate a brooding developing embryos in randomly selected eggs were stopped by
hen’s environment so that the eggs would hatch into a healthy injecting sodium azide (NaN3 ).” All the eggs were classified into
chick. The parameters or factors that are needed to be controlled two: fertile and non-fertile eggs. This study is not like the others
by the incubator are temperature, humidity, ventilation and egg as accuracy degrades for day 1 and 2 of incubation. Results
turning. If all of these factors are regulated, this will provide the stated as day 0 accuracy is at 100%, 78.8% at day 1, 74.1% at
perfect environment for the development of the embryo. As day 2, 81.8% at day 3, and 84.1% at day 4. Results showed that
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Proceedings of TENCON 2018 - 2018 IEEE Region 10 Conference (Jeju, Korea, 28-31 October 2018)
Color Location
( ZZ c 2 b 2 ) ( ZZ c 2 b 2 ) 2 4c 2 ZZ
t (2)
2cZ Fig. 6. Image Processing Program Flowchart
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Proceedings of TENCON 2018 - 2018 IEEE Region 10 Conference (Jeju, Korea, 28-31 October 2018)
(a) Modified Tray Setup with Eggs (b) Camera Snapshot of Tray
The incubator’s system functionality was tested and at the
same time data were gathered for validation if the incubator does
maintain the right level of humidity and executes the program
accurately. Temperature and humidity is gathered every 5
Fig. 7. Modified Tray Setup minutes for an hour to test if the incubator can maintain the
optimal temperature and humidity.
Since the distinction between clear (undeveloped) and
developing eggs is visible for human eyes, a color space should Figures 10 & 11 show the performance of incubator for 3
be used that will be closer to human operator performance. Thus, days of continuous usage. Data shows that the temperature was
color location was used. By having an image type of RGB (32- held on to optimal level (36 degrees) and humidity on its
bit) and Day 1 eggs as templates for the image processing, the acceptable level which is between 40% and 60% with 50% as
difference between the eggs can be determined. The steps of the the optimal level.
image processing are: 1) input the image of Day 1 eggs as a
template for the color location to be used. 2) Adjust the
minimum score of the color location setup between 600 to 800
and the color sensitivity to high sensitivity. The researchers used
a minimum of seven color location setups for the image
processing. The image of Day 1 eggs is critical for determining
the undeveloped eggs at Day 10 since the Day 1 eggs are porous
against Day 10 eggs that have a dark color. By inputting the Day
10 image through the NI Vision assistant program, the
undeveloped eggs will be determined.
Fig. 10. Temperature Endurance Test Readings of the Incubator for 3 Days
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Proceedings of TENCON 2018 - 2018 IEEE Region 10 Conference (Jeju, Korea, 28-31 October 2018)
(b) Actual position of eggs Fig. 14. Color Detection Program of Candling Software
(a) Reconstructed manually candled eggs
Fig. 15. Comparison of Detected Eggs by (a) Traditional Sensory Method and
(b) Proposed System. The Labview program automatically indicates the 4
unfertilized eggs in red squares.
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