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EP-4734842-A1 - AN APPARATUS FOR AIDING IN EVALUATING A GAIT OF A QUADRUPED

EP4734842A1EP 4734842 A1EP4734842 A1EP 4734842A1EP-4734842-A1

Abstract

An apparatus (100) for aiding in evaluating the gait of a quadruped (2) is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an image capturing device (4) for capturing a video segment (6) of a quadruped in motion, said video segment represents a series of time separated images (8), wherein said video segment is having a duration which spans at least one gait cycle of the quadruped; and a data processing device (10). The data processing device (10) is being configured, from said series of images (8) of said video segment (6), to extract motion data (12) indicative of one or more predetermined biometric characteristics of the gait cycle(s) of said quadruped, and the data processing device (10) is being configured, from said motion data (12), to determine a gait rhythm of said gait cycle(s). Moreover, the data processing device (10) is being configured to generate an audio segment (14) comprising a plurality of audio signal pulses (16) corresponding to said gait rhythm of said gait cycle(s). Finally, the data processing device (10) is being configured to mix said audio segment (14) with said video segment (6), thereby generating a combined audio/video segment (18). The apparatus of the invention is suitable for training a human being in recognizing a lameness of a quadruped by watching a gait of that quadruped, while at the same time listening to the audio signal pulses (16) generated by the data processing device.

Inventors

  • KEY, Karsten Thuren

Assignees

  • Keydiagnostics ApS

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240409

Claims (20)

  1. 1. An apparatus (100) for aiding in evaluating the gait of a quadruped (2), wherein said apparatus comprises: -an image capturing device (4) for capturing a video segment (6) of a quadruped in motion, said video segment represents a series of time separated images (8), wherein said video segment is having a duration which spans at least one gait cycle of the quadruped; -a data processing device (10); wherein said data processing device (10) is being configured, from said series of images (8) of said video segment (6), to extract motion data (12) indicative of one or more predetermined biometric characteristics of the gait cycle(s) of said quadruped; wherein said data processing device (10) is being configured, from said motion data (12), to determine a gait rhythm of said gait cycle(s); wherein said data processing device (10) is being configured to generate an audio segment (14) comprising a plurality of audio signal pulses (16) corresponding to said gait rhythm of said gait cycle(s); wherein said data processing device (10) is being configured to mix said audio segment (14) with said video segment (6), thereby generating a combined audio/video segment (18).
  2. 2. An apparatus (100) according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus further comprises a display (20) and an audio reproducing device (22), such as loudspeaker or a headphone, for visual and audible reproducing said combined audio/video segment (18).
  3. 3. An apparatus (100) according to claim 2, wherein said apparatus is being configured to visually and audibly reproduce said combined audio/video segment (18) in real-time or in near real-time, relative to the time of capturing said video segment (6) by said image capturing device (4).
  4. 4. An apparatus (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said apparatus comprises a data storage (24) configured for storing said video segment (6) captured by said image capturing device (4) and/or configured for storing said combined audio/video segment (18) generated by said data processing device (10).
  5. 5. An apparatus (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said audio segment (14) generated by said data processing device (10) comprises a silent background layer and an audio layer comprising said individual audio signal pulses (16); or wherein said audio segment (14) generated by said data processing device (10) comprises a non-silent background layer and an added audio layer comprising said audio segment (14) comprising said individual audio signal pulses (16).
  6. 6. An apparatus (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said audio signal pulses (16) of said audio segment (14) of said combined video/audio segment (18) independently are having a duration of 5 - 1000 ms (milliseconds), such as 10 - 900 ms, for example 15 - 800 ms, e.g. 20 - 750 ms, such as 25 - 700 ms, for example 50 - 650 ms, such as 75 - 600 ms, such as 100 - 550 ms, for example 150 - 500 ms, e.g. 200 - 450 ms, such as 250 - 400 ms or 300 - 350 ms.
  7. 7. An apparatus (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said motion data (12), indicative of said predetermined biometric characteristics of the gait cycle, relates to one or more of the following: vertical displacement of the trunk, such as measured by the parameter MinDiff and/or MaxDiff; limb position, velocity, flight pattern, deceleration and/or acceleration of one or more limbs or anatomic elements of the quadruped.
  8. 8. An apparatus (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said data processing device (10) is being configured to determine said gait rhythm in a form comprising two, three or four “beats” per gait cycle, wherein said “beat” optionally represents cyclic movements of one or more anatomic elements of the quadruped (2) during its movement.
  9. 9. An apparatus (100) according to claim 8, wherein said data processing device (10) is being configured to generate said audio segment (14) in such a way that it comprises a beat pattern comprising two, three or four of said audio pulses per gait cycle in correspondence with said gait rhythm.
  10. 10. An apparatus (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein in the combined audio/video segment (18), the audio segment (14) is being synchronized with said video segment (6) in such a way that said audio signal pulses (16) of said audio segment (14) are being synchronized with a cyclic movement of one more limbs or anatomic elements of the quadruped (2), such as based on each foot’s impact with the ground.
  11. 11. An apparatus (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the duration of said video segment (6) and the duration of said audio segment (14) are identical, or wherein the duration of said video segment (6) is longer than the duration of said audio segment (14).
  12. 12. An apparatus (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said video segment (6) and said combined video/audio segment (18) span a plurality of gait cycles, such as 2 - 1000 or more gait cycles, for example 5 - 950 gait cycles, such as 10 - 900 gait cycles, for example 15 - 850 gait cycles, such as 20 - 800 gait cycles, e.g. 25 - 750 gait cycles, for example 50 - 700 gait cycles, such as 100 - 650 gait cycles, for example 150 - 600 gait cycles, for example 200 - 550 gait cycles, such as 250 - 500 gait cycles, e.g. 300 - 450 gait cycles or 350 - 400 gait cycles.
  13. 13. An apparatus (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein one or more of said one or more predetermined biometric characteristics of the gait cycle relate to an intensity of movement of one or more of the four legs of the quadruped; and wherein said data processing device (10) is being configured to determine, from said motion data (12) and in respect of one or more specific gait cycles of said video segment (6), preferably in respect of each gait cycle of said video segment (6), a variation in the intensity of movement of the four legs of the quadruped within the same gait cycle, or wherein said data processing device (10) is being configured to determine, from said motion data (12) and in respect of two or more gait cycles of said video segment (6), a variation in the intensity of movement of the four legs of the quadruped within said two or more gait cycles.
  14. 14. An apparatus (100) according to claim 13, wherein said data processing device (10) is being configured to generate said audio segment (14) comprising said plurality of audio signal pulses (16) in such a way that the intensity and/or the frequency and/or timbre and/or another sound expression characteristics of said audio signal pulses (16) will vary commensurate with the variation in the intensity of movement of the four legs of the quadruped within the same gait cycle, or within said two or more gait cycles, as the case may be.
  15. 15. An apparatus (100) according to claim 14, wherein said data processing device (10) is being configured to generate said audio segment (14) comprising said plurality of audio signal pulses (16) in such a way that said audio signal pulses (16) is representing the sound of a horse hoof hitting the ground, such as in the form of a recorded sound of a horse hoof hitting the ground, or in the form of an artificially generated sound resembling the sound of a horse hoof hitting the ground; or wherein said data processing device (10) is being configured to generate said audio segment (14) comprising said plurality of audio signal pulses (16) in such a way that said audio signal pulses (16) comprise sounds having an increased frequency or a decreased frequency over the duration of each audio signal pulses (16).
  16. 16. An apparatus (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the frame rate of said video segment (6) and/or of said combined video/audio segment (18) is selected from the ranges of 1 - 1,000 fps (frames per second), such as 12 - 900 fps, e.g. 24 - 800 fps, for examples 36 - 600, for example 60 - 500 fps, such as 120 - 400 fps or 240 - 300 fps.
  17. 17. An apparatus (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the apparatus is configured for evaluating the gait of a horse, a dog, a cat, cattle or swine.
  18. 18. An apparatus (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said data processing device (10) furthermore is being configured, from said motion data (12), to extract one or more gait movement parameters (26) which may be indicative of asymmetry or lameness of the quadruped (2).
  19. 19. An apparatus (100) according to claim 18, wherein said data processing device (10) is being configured to extract one or more of said one or more gait movement parameters (26) dynamically over the span of said video segment (6).
  20. 20. An apparatus (100) according to claim 18 or 19, wherein said data processing device (10) is being configured to add a visual representation of one or more of said gait movement parameters (26) in such a way that said combined audio/video segment comprises a visual representation (28) of one or more of said one or more gait movement parameters (26).

Description

An apparatus for aiding in evaluating a gait of a quadruped Field of the invention The present invention relates to the field of veterinary science and in particular to technology for evaluating the gait of a quadruped. Accordingly, in a first aspect the present invention relates to an apparatus for evaluating the gait of a quadruped. In a second aspect the present invention relates to a use of the apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention as an aid in evaluating the gait of a quadruped. In a third aspect the present invention relates to a method for evaluating the gait of a quadruped. In a fourth aspect the present invention relates to a computer program product. Background of the invention Lameness is a relatively frequently occurring physical disorder in quadrupeds such as horses, dogs, cats, cattle and swine. In case a condition of lameness is not detected at an early stage there is a risk that the lameness will worsen over time. A worsening of a lameness condition in a quadruped will increase medical expenses and additionally often also add emotional pain to the owner of the animal. Within the field of veterinary science lameness in quadrupeds has traditionally been diagnosed by a veterinarian by watching the gait of the walking or running animal and paying special attention to any asymmetry in the movements performed by the animal. In case an asymmetry can be detected, the animal is likely lame, whereas the opposite is true in case no asymmetry can be detected. However, human vision is limited when it comes to detecting asymmetries in cyclic movements having a frequency in the range of the frequency of foot beats of a walking or running quadruped. In recent years, more technical solutions have been developed which aids in detection of lameness in a quadruped. One of these technologies involves providing the quadruped with sensors of a sensor system at various positions. Such sensor systems are capable of sensing various biometric parameters of the animal during movement. On the basis of such sensed biometric parameters a data processor will process the data obtained in order to diagnose a potential presence of a lameness in the quadruped. Other technologies relate to image capture and image analysis of a quadruped in motion. Accordingly, these technologies make use of computer power to analyze, from a captured video of the moving quadruped, the movement pattern of specific positions or anatomic elements of the animal and on the basis of this analysis, assess whether the movement of the animal is symmetric (no lameness being present) or is asymmetric (potential lameness being present). Some of these latter technologies utilizing image analysis are even available for smartphones or tablets as an app which the owner of the quadruped can download and install and use without the necessity of consulting a veterinarian. Thereby the owner of the animal may film the gait of the animal and after image analysis the app will tell whether or not and optionally with which severity the animal is lame. Such a technology is known from US 2015/0080765 Al, which describes a system that utilizes computerized depth perception to auto-matically scan physical objects, e.g. a quadruped such as a sport horse, over time thereby enabling a detailed analysis of its movement, and changes thereof over time, without the need for attaching sensors to the body of the horse, or requiring a force plate or high speed expensive cameras is disclosed herein. Another known system is known from US 2016/0073614 Al, which method of diagnosing lameness in quadrupeds utilizing computer vision and a computerized depth perception system to scan quadrupeds, such as sport horses, over time. The method enables a detailed analysis of the quadruped's movement, and changes thereof over time without the need for attaching sensors to the body of the horse or requiring force plates or expensive high-speed cameras. A processing system receives the input of the movement data and utilizes it to determination the severity of lameness signals of the animal. However, a non-professional person, i.e. a non-veterinarian person may not fully comprehend how such diagnosis of such image analysis systems is arrived at, and because of this, a nonveterinarian person may not be fully confident that the analysis result, or diagnosis, provided with such systems, really is correct and is based on objective facts. Moreover, just being presented with a diagnostic result without being mentally involved in the process leading to such diagnostic result, will deprive a non-veterinarian person from being trained in assessing presence of lameness in a quadruped solely based on viewing the gait of that quadruped. Accordingly, a need persists for technology which will aid in training a non-veterinarian in assessing presence of lameness in a quadruped based on viewing the gait of the quadruped. Brief description of the invention This objective is fulfilled according to t