Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The piggery industry is the Philippines' most profitable agricultural sector,

with backyard and commercial piggeries producing 64 percent and 36 percent of

the country's hog population, respectively. In particular, backyard piggeries have

produced twice as many animals as commercial farms, making them a prominent

component in the P191billion pig farming business (Yap Jr., 2017)

Two of the most important subsectors in the Philippines' agriculture sector

are livestock and poultry. Hogs and chickens were the most frequent of all the

animals raised for human food in the Philippines, accounting for the majority of

the livestock production volume. (2020, Sanchez).

A variety of diseases affect the skin of pigs and can be infectious

(bacterial, viral, mycotic and parasitic), or non-infectious (environmental,

nutritional, hereditary and neoplastic). These diseases may involve only the skin

or be cutaneous manifestations of a systemic disease. However, studies

characterizing histologically the skin lesions in swine and common pox (Torrison

et. al., 2019).

Late discovery of emergency illnesses promotes disease propagation and

increases epidemic risks, as proven by prior outbreaks of foot-and-mouth

disease classical swine fever, and the current epidemic of African swine fever. It
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also causes enormous economic losses in affected nations. If infections are

discovered early enough, they can be identified (Grau, 2015).

The goal of this research is to use image processing and machine learning

to determine what form of skin is present: skin lesions, swine pox, and normal

skin.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

A swineherd's skin illness can have a negative influence on output by

reducing growth rate and feed efficiency. By causing damage to the hide and

excessive trimming at the packing plant, skin lesions can reduce carcass value.

Poor visual appearance can have a negative impact on reputation and sales of

breeding stock and feeder pigs. (Doster, Ph. D, 2019)

Skin diseases in pigs can negatively impact the production . They cause

losses related to the death of the affected pigs, to the cost with the treatment,

growth retardation and condemnations in the slaughterhouses. (Pereira et. al,

2020)

In 2019 falling pork supplies and rising prices has something to do with the

fact that African swine fever remains a significant biosecurity risk. Outbreaks

outside of China occurred in Hong Kong at the start of February 2021 and are

ongoing in Vietnam and the Philippines. At the start of 2021 a new variant of the

disease emerged that is more difficult to detect because the associated mortality
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rate is lower. Therefore, the researchers aim to create a device that would help

all those livestock growers particularly to swine producers. Hence, early detection

of infectious diseases can substantially reduce the health and economic impacts

on livestock production. (SciDev.net, 2021)

Specifically, the researchers aim to answers r the following questions:

1. How to design and develop the system to aid late detection of diseases

among pig skin diseases?

2. How accurate is the output of the Pig Skin Diseases Recognition System

through Machine Learning with Thermal Sensor?

1.3 Objectives of the Study

This study aims to create a system to help swine producers by preventing

the early spread of livestock-related diseases through early detection of the

presence of skin diseases by image processing and machine learning.

At the culmination of the study, the researchers aimed to achieve the

following:

1. To build features that aid in the early detection of serious pig skin diseases,

as well as to design and develop the Pig Skin Diseases Recognition System

through Machine Learning with Thermal Sensor

a. preparation;

b. design;

i. flowchart;
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ii. block diagram;

iii. circuit diagram;

c. procedure;

i. operation;

ii. programming;

2. To test the Pig Skin Diseases Recognition System's performance in terms of

accuracy in detecting pig skin diseases using a thermal sensor and machine

learning.

1.4 Scope and Limitation

The research included important factors of the design and these were

considered and enumerated as follows:

1.4.1 Scope

The scope of this study:

1. Pigs will be the subject of this investigation.

2. Thermal sensor will be utilized to determine the pig's temperature’s heat

index and humidity.

3. The skin photos to be processed will be feed to the system to be used for

machine learning.

4. To produce a result, the researchers will concentrate on image

processing.
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1.4.2 Limitation

The limitations of this study are:

1. This study will not involve the disposal and storage of livestock’s waste

after it has left.

2. The size and diet of pigs were not considered.

3. The age of the livestock to be tested is not considered.

4. The hybrid pigs with white skin will be the focused of this research.

5. The pig cyst was not included.

6. The system will not measure the size of swelling disorder in pig.

7. Temperature testing for skin lesions and swine skin disorder are not

included.

1.5 Significance of the Study

The researchers emphasized that the study is beneficial to the following:

Bureau of Animal Industry. This study will help them to modernize the

detection technologically and globally advanced.

Veterinary Professionals, Paraprofessional and Laboratory

Diagnosticians. To provide with the information they need to promptly diagnose

and react to an outbreak or case of pig-related transmitted diseases.

Pig Farmers and Livestock Producers. Will benefit by helping early

identification of the disease that will aid not to spread contagious viruses.
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Students. Not only to equip with sufficient learning but also to arm with

skills and the knowledge required to influence technology effectively.

Future Researchers. Meanwhile the ideas shown may be used as

reference data in conducting similar studies.

1.6 Theoretical and Conceptual Framework

Below are the articles, components from multiple sources, and the legal

foundation for the researchers' work. Figure 1 depicts a theoretical and

conceptual framework that helps explain the idea and process of the researchers'

proposed system and helps viewers comprehend how it operates.

1.6.1 Camera

Digital imaging devices, such as digital camera, contain built-in image

processing systems for applications such as computer vision, and multimedia

and surveillance.

It is used for collecting images to undergo in image processing. Image

processing is a method to perform some operations on an image, in order to get

an enhanced image or to extract some useful information from it. It is a type of

signal processing in which input is an image and output may be image or

characteristics/features associated with that image. Nowadays, image processing

is among rapidly growing technologies. It forms core research area within

engineering and computer science disciplines too.

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Computer-based technology, carries out automatic processing,

manipulation and interpretation of such visual information, and it plays an

increasingly important role in many aspects of our daily life, as well as in a wide

variety of disciplines and fields in science and technology.

1.6.2 Machine Learning

Machine learning is a type of data analysis that automates the creation of

analytical models. It's a field of artificial intelligence based on the notion that

computers can learn from data, recognize patterns, and make choices with little

or no human input. It's in search engines, spam filters, websites that offer

personalized recommendations, banking software that detects odd transactions,

and a variety of phone apps like speech recognition.

There are many more possible uses for the technology, some with larger

stakes than others. Future advancements may benefit the economy and have a

big social impact. Machine learning, for example, could provide us with readily

available "personal assistants" to help us manage our lives, it could dramatically

improve the transportation system through the use of autonomous vehicles, and

it could dramatically improve the healthcare system by improving disease

diagnoses and personalizing treatment. It might also be used for security

purposes, such as analyzing email conversations or internet activity. The

consequences of these and other applications of technology must be examined

immediately, and steps must be made to guarantee that they are beneficial to

society.
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1.6.3 Theory of Digital Image Processing

Digital image processing technology uses computer technology to

improve, segment, recover, and remove image noise, among other things. The

growth of computer network technology, the improvement of mathematics, and

the ongoing need for digital image processing technology from a variety of

societal sectors have all contributed to the development of digital image

processing technology, opening up new avenues for advancement. (Luo et al.,

2018). Image processing technologies are classified into two types: analog

image processing and digital image processing. Hard copies, such as prints and

photographs, can benefit from analog image processing. When applying these

visual techniques, image analysts employ a variety of interpretation

fundamentals. Digital image processing techniques aid in the alteration of digital

images through the use of computers. Pre-processing, augmentation, and

presentation, as well as information extraction, are the three general processes

that all sorts of data must go through when using digital techniques

1.6.4 Microcontroller

A microcontroller is an integrated circuit (IC) device used for controlling

other portions of an electronic system, usually via a microprocessor unit (MPU),

memory, and some peripherals. These devices are optimized for embedded

applications that require both processing functionality and agile, responsive

interaction with digital, analog, or electromechanical components. It contains

memory, programmable input/output peripherals as well a processor.

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Microcontrollers are mostly designed for embedded applications and are heavily

used in automatically controlled electronic devices such as cellphones, cameras,

microwave ovens, washing machines, etc.

A microcontroller takes the essential features of a computer as just

described, and adds to these the features that are needed for it to perform its

control functions.

1.6.5 Display

It's a device that displays information in a visual or tactile format (the latter

used for example in tactile electronic displays for blind people). The display is

activated when the input data contains an electrical signal.

It is utilized in the system to display if there is a presence of early

symptoms of skin disease and also displays the temperature in an electronic

format.

1.6.6 Sensor

Turns the physical activity to be measured into an electrical equivalent and

processes it so that electrical signals can be easily delivered and further

processed. The system will be utilizing temperature and humidity sensors.

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Figure 1. Theoretical and Conceptual Framework

Figure 1 depicts the structure that can hold or support a research study's

theory is known as the theoretical framework. The theory explains why the

research problem under study exists is introduced and explained in the

theoretical framework. A conceptual framework depicts the relationship you

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anticipate existing between your variables, or the traits or properties you wish to

investigate.

1.7 Operational Definition of Terms

Livestock. Domesticated animals raised in an agricultural context to

provide labor and commodities such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool

are commonly referred to as farm animals.

Image Extraction. In machine learning, pattern recognition, and image

processing, feature extraction starts from an initial set of measured data and

builds derived values (features) intended to be informative and non -redundant,

facilitating the subsequent learning and generalization steps, and in some cases

leading to better human interpretations. Feature extraction is related to

dimensionality reduction.

DHT11 Sensor. Employs resistive humidity measurement component an d

NTC temperature measurement component to provide humidity value in

percentage relative humidity (20 to 90% RH) and temperature value in degree

Celsius (0 to 50 °C).

Microcontroller. (MCU for microcontroller unit) is a small computer on a

single metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) integrated circuit (IC) chip.

Convolutional Neural Network. A deep learning neural network designed

to interpret structured arrays of data like photographs. Convolutional neural

networks are widely utilized in computer vision and have become the state-of-the-
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art for many visual applications such as image classification, as well as natural

language processing for text categorization.

Machine Learning. An artificial intelligence (AI) application that allows

systems to automatically learn and improve based on experience without being

explicitly designed. Machine learning is concerned with the creation of computer

programs that can access data and use it to learn for themselves.

Deep Learning. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning that

mimics how people learn specific sorts of information. Data science, which also

encompasses statistics and predictive modeling, contains deep learning as a key

component.

Image Processing. A way of performing operations on an image in order

to get an improved image or to extract usable information from it, as well as a

sort of signal processing in which the input is an image and the output is the

image or characteristics/features connected with that image.

Swine Pox. Swine pox is caused by a virus that is highly host specific an d

is characterized by the development of cutaneous lesions in susceptible young

pigs.

Skin Lesions. Skin lesions can be the result of parasitic disease,

infectious agents, physical damage by the environment or other pigs, and

developmental causes.

Normal Skin. Normal skin is skin that has no patches, redness, etc.
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Relative Humidity (RH). The moisture content (i.e., water vapor) of the

atmosphere is stated as a percentage of the quantity of moisture that the

atmosphere can contain (moisture-holding capacity) at a certain temperature an d

pressure without condensation (relative humidity).

Image Segmentation. Grouping together elements of a picture that

belong to the same object class Pixel-level categorization is another name for

this procedure.

Support Vector Machine (SVM). Algorithms for supervised machine

learning that are both strong and adaptable are utilized for both classification and

regression. However, they are typically employed in categorization issues.

Dataset. Collection of distinct, connected data objects that may be viewed

separately, together, or handled as a single unit. Arranged into a certain data

structure. A data set in a database, for instance, can include a collection of

business data (names, salaries, contact information, sales figures, and so forth).

Training Dataset. Starting data for training machine learning models. To

teach machine learning algorithms how to generate predictions or complete a

specific job, training datasets are given into the algorithms.

Testing Dataset. Validation data is used to determine the accuracy of

your model.