A device far estimating the optimal artificial insemination time consisted of a computer, RS module, and six direct-reflex photo-sensors. Program was written in LabWindows CVI. In order to establish references for estimating optimal artificial insemination time, lying rate of the thirty three $Berkshire{ imes}Hampshire crossbred sows (parity 5 to 6) was recorded from 2 days after moving into stalls to artificial insemination using a time lapse VCR and was measured every hour with one minute interval using the scan point sampling method. Twenty low hours in a day were divided into three comparing periods : 21:00 to 06:59, 07:00 to 13:59, and 14:00 to 20:59. If sum of the percentages of tying during a comparing period was less than the reference value, the starting hour of the comparing period was considered as onset of estrus and the optimal artificial insemination time was estimated at 20 to 24 hours after onset of estrus. The experimental device was evaluated with twenty five $Berkshire{ imes}Hampshire$ crossbred sows (parity 2 to 7) and 23 of 25 sows $(92\%)$ were pregnant. This result suggests that the experimental device is excellent in performance for estimating optimal artificial insemination time.