Weigh scale algorithm impact case study

Industry need

The farming industry has long needed means of accurately weighing large animals. Weight is a strong indicator of animal health and farmers also want to monitor weight gain as it can affect the prices paid for their stock. In the early days they relied on mechanical scales, moving to more sophisticated electronic systems as they became available.

By the early 2000s, the research and development (R&D) team at leading New Zealand company Gallagher Group had successfully designed a scale for weighing animals in the field.  It was based on the reception of a single input derived from four load cells under a weighing platform and delivered an analogue signal that could be sampled and fed to a digital processor running an algorithm.

IRL innovation

Gallagher’s R&D team needed outside expertise to develop an algorithm that could deliver superior speed and accuracy. They approached IRL, whose staff set to work on a project that, according to Dr Mark Poletti, posed a number of mathematical challenges.

“To us, the ideal weigh scale would include a sensor system that delivered a voltage output proportional to the weight of whatever object was placed on it,” he says. “However, extraneous noise produced by moving animals interferes with measurement reliability.”

The team developed a weigh scale algorithm that used an innovative method of acquiring a lock on to the correct weight. This solution addressed issues around excessive noise from the animals and the need for rapid adjustment to each animal’s weight.

Economic benefits

Named SmartScale, the resulting livestock weigh scale range has become a multi-million dollar business for the company.  The products provide much larger benefits to farmers, who are able to maximise returns from their animals, as well as more precisely match feed availability to animal and market requirements.

As a result of the work, Gallagher Group and IRL have forged a strategic relationship with IRL scientists providing the underpinning research supporting a number of the company’s technologies.

In addition to the work on weighing algorithms, IRL has helped Gallagher Group develop a walk through dairy scale. The technology involves complex software and algorithms that use signals from various points on a platform to measure the weight of animals as they walk over the platform. IRL’s skills have been vital to the success of the product.

IRL has also helped the company develop a computer model for pulse transformer behaviour. This work has been instrumental in designing what Gallagher markets as the world’s best performing energiser. This product, along with Gallagher’s weighing products, are sold worldwide and are part of Gallagher's core offering.

Future work

The partnership between IRL and Gallagher is ongoing with IRL scientists continuing to investigate a range of new technology options for the company.    

According to Mark Harris, Marketing Manager, Gallagher Group, IRL provides additional knowledge and skills to explore new technology areas when requirements exceed their internal capability.

Historically, Gallagher engages IRL expertise every two to three years.