Pharm Robotics inoculates dairy cows at large farm

By Mike Oitzman | July 30, 2024

Agtech robotics and automation come in many forms. Pharm Robotics recognized the opportunity to automate a critical process for dairy farmers in the ongoing inoculation of their cows. The San Jacinto, Calif.-based company introduced its SureShot auto-inoculation system two years ago.

All of the dairy cows in a herd wear ear tags embedded with an RFID tag. The Pharm Robotics system reads each cow’s tag as it enters the milking barn and then determines if the animal needs immunization.

Cows that require inoculation are held in place with a two-part bumper restraint while an industrial robotic arm injects the cow. After the injection, the cow is released.

Not only does SureShot automate the entire inoculation process, but it also enables farmers to focus on other tasks while ensuring the health of the herd, said Pharm Robotics. The company was a 2022 RBR50 award winner for its innovative technology.

Pharm Robotics adds computer vision to SureShot

At this year’s World Ag Expo, Pharm Robotics previewed a demonstration of SureShot tailored for rotary parlors in collaboration with Hansen Industries Inc. The company also announced the successful integration of the Intel RealSense 3D camera into the SureShot system.

This advancement marks a pivotal step towards deploying SureShot for live vaccinations and medication administration in dairy settings, claimed Pharm Robotics. The Intel RealSense camera provides accuracy in shot-site acquisition, improving robotic precision and enhancing efficiency, it said.

Also this year, Pharm Robotics completed a detailed evaluation of 3D imaging technologies as it refines the SureShot system into a robust minimum viable product (MVP). The company said it is now focusing on integrating the RealSense camera’s data-processing capabilities with a programmable logic controller (PLC) to enable seamless data flow and precise robotic movements.

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Pharmaceutics management improves

Pharm Robotics is also integrating a cooling unit with refrigerated lines to ensure proper storage and administration of medications. Many of the medications used require proper temperatures to maintain their safety and effectiveness.

Every animal has individual needs, and thus some medications can remain primed in the lines connecting the storage units to the robot’s end effector. By refrigerating the lines, there is less waste, Pharm Robotics explained.

Dairy to test robot before wider deployment

Pharm Robotics is planning to execute Phase IV proof-of-concept and MVP testing at a 50-stall rotary dairy in Visalia, Calif., said Alika Chuck, CEO of Pharm Robotics. 

“During this phase, we will install our robot temporarily to assess crucial parameters such as speed per stall when administering shots, RFID reading accuracy, and monitoring medication levels and temperature requirements within the cooling unit and refrigerated lines,” he told The Robot Report. “This testing phase is integral to ensuring the efficiency and accuracy of our system.”

if this testing is successful, the company plans to purchase an additional robot arm and then move on to the deployment of this unit to a committed customer with a 120-stall rotary in Northern California.