Simulated natural landscape in a cage-free facility to improve animal welfare and health

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12201091-B2
Application number	US-202217660652-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2022
Priority date	Apr 26, 2021
Publication date	Jan 21, 2025
Grant date	Jan 21, 2025

Abstract

An artificial and/or simulated environment is used to raise a domestic or commercially raised animal to promote a positive health feedback and to minimize stress on the animal. The simulated environment is used to create the façade of a free range or cage free environment, while also minimizing the exposure to inclement weather, potential predators, and other unknown or stress-inducing situations. The results include animals that have higher resistance to diseases and have a lower stress. The artificial environment can be created by projecting or otherwise showing images and/or videos depicting simulation of environments, climate, and/or other unknown situations to normalize the animals to the same.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of promoting positive health of a non-human animal in a controlled environment, the method comprising:
projecting one or more images to a portion of the controlled environment, said one or more images being a simulation on one or more barriers of the controlled environment;
monitoring the non-human animal in response to the projected one or more images, wherein the monitoring comprises observing behavior and measuring computational and biological parameters of the non-human animal; and
changing the one or more images to update the simulation to the non-human animal in the controlled environment based on the monitoring of the non-human animal;
wherein the one or more images are chosen to reduce stress on the non-human animal in the controlled environment by simulating stimulus-rich, biologically relevant, and safe environments to trigger positive behaviors in the non-human animal, based on the monitoring of the non-human animal.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising introducing additional images to the non-human animal via the controlled environment to normalize the non-human animal to potentially stress-inducing situations by changing the simulation.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the potentially stress-inducing situation comprises:
a. exposure to a change in climate;
b. exposure to a potential predator;
c. exposure to an unknown situation.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising updating the one or more images to create the simulation of a daily cycle.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the simulation of the daily cycle comprises updated positioning of one or more celestial bodies.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more images comprises virtual reality to create the simulation of an outdoor environment.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more images comprises stereoscopic images.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more images comprise a combination of still images and videos.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein one of the still images or videos are projected on each of the one or more barriers.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more images promote positive health for the non-human animal.

Assignees

• Univ Iowa State Res Found Inc

Inventors

• Mellata Melha
• Oliver James H
• Lyte Mark
• Hartline Suzanne Theresa Millman
• Radkowski Rafael
• Redweik Graham

Classifications

• A01K15/02

  Training or exercising equipment, e.g. mazes or labyrinths for animals (A01K15/04 takes precedence) {; Electric shock devices; Toys specially adapted for animals} · CPC title

• H04N13/363

  using image projection screens (volumetric display H04N13/388) · CPC title

• A01K1/0047

  Air-conditioning, e.g. ventilation, of animal housings (Laboratory cage ventilation A01K1/0313; Cat or dog houses with climate control means A01K1/0335) · CPC title

• A01K29/005 Primary

  Monitoring or measuring activity · CPC title