The WATERPIG project, which is financed within the framework of aid for AEIs (Innovative Business Groups) of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, seeks to investigate the validation of an innovative and pioneering technology only validated in a laboratory environment, through the application of Artificial Intelligence in a real experimental farm. Specifically, the aim is to validate an innovative system for water purification using activated air, in its use for the sanitization of drinking water for pigs in the fattening phase.
To achieve this, the WATERPIG project has a consortium led by the Aragonese Food Cluster (ARAGON INNOVALIMEN), with the participation of the Agroalimentario Cluster of Navarra, the technology company IA SAPIENS, and the production company CUARTE, SL
The objective of the project, therefore, must imply the design and development of a data collection and processing system based on Artificial Intelligence that allows comparison of production data under normal conditions with that of drinking water treatment with this new system. This system eliminates viruses and bacteria from the water without incorporating chemicals and generates a natural oxidant that remains in the water for several weeks, acting on the biofilm and thus protecting it from possible recontamination.
Validating a new water sanitation strategy and applying AI to the process represents a completely innovative and novel step in that there are, to date, no actions that offer conclusive results in this regard. The information that has been found, after an extensive analysis of the state of the art, refers to very preliminary experimental studies and under very controlled conditions; The study presented seeks, for the first time, to carry out studies under experimental farm conditions, in pig farms that will allow the adequate assessment of the results found and their direct extrapolation to real production conditions.
Furthermore, the incorporation of Artificial Intelligence will allow us to take into account not only historical data but also variables parameterized into two groups. On the one hand, data related to production will be collected and analyzed, which will be classified in terms of feed consumption and weight. On the other hand, data related to the health status will be collected and analyzed, which will be classified into mortality rates and necessary veterinary interventions (use of medications, outbreaks, etc.). With all this, the processing of data and the extraction of conclusive results will be allowed, leading to the optimization of decision-making throughout the process while allowing robust conclusions to be drawn.
This project aims to:
- Improve meat quality and performance.
- Implementation and study of cutting-edge technologies related to Industry 4.0 and application in the pig sector. Digitization is pursued for data processing and monitoring of results, for optimization of the process.
- Improving the well-being of animals and helping to comply with the Available Technical Improvements.
- Increased sustainability through the sustainable use of water.
- Improve the economic performance of the farm by achieving higher quality meat and lower costs associated with disease treatments.
- Increased productivity, by improving animal health and hygiene and reducing mortality
