Draft-M8 automated drafting

An effective and affordable solution

For over 20 years people have been trying to solve the challenges of manual drafting to reduce milking hours and cost. The need for a solution has become more critical, with widespread labour shortages and hourly rates that have almost doubled over the past few years.

Various products have come to market, but they’ve been too expensive for many privately owned dairies. High maintenance requirements further add to the cost.

That’s why we developed Draft-M8, a high-tech yet simple and cost-effective solution for drafting cows using a smart camera to drive automated gates.

Click here to download our PDF brochure

How Draft-M8 works

1. The Draft-M8 camera box is mounted in the roof over the dairy exit gate. The control box is mounted within 2.5 metres of the camera.
   
2. As cows pass through, the camera recognises the scratchie (‘breeding indicator’), stickers and paint on the cow’s back.
   
3. The appropriate gate is automatically opened to sort cows into different yards for attention.
   
4. The farmer can access real-time video of the drafting process via computer, tablet or phone. Gates can also be remotely operated if desired.
   
5. The system is fast and accurate. We provide options to access updated recognition models as they become available. Read more about our technology here.

What’s special about Draft-M8

Draft-M8 is a high-tech yet simple and affordable product for automated drafting. We have designed the system to:

• Require minimal equipment and be simple to install and set up
• Read any type of sticker, scratchie, label or paint
• Detect humans in the area and keep them safe
• Reduce maintenance requirements, with the camera mounted overhead out of harm’s way
• Plug into a standard power point so there is no need for batteries or solar installations
• Communicate using Wi-Fi and work with or without connection to the cloud or internet
• Evolve over time to provide even greater functionality.

With Draft-M8 you benefit from:

• Reduced labour costs – for much of the year you don’t need a second person in the milking shed, saving time and money
• Less labour-intensive drafting so you can take holidays and manage milking during labour shortages
• Herd improvement and greater productivity by sorting cows ready for Artificial Insemination
• A safer and more accurate process than relying on potentially inexperienced contract labour
• More affordable than alternative products for automated drafting.

Cost of Draft-M8

The best part about Draft-M8 is the price.

Contact us now about competitive pricing for your specific needs.

A Draft-M8 kit includes a camera, wiring harness, control box and installation manual. It’s free to access the Draft-M8 portal as often as you like and there are no ongoing fees or charges.

The cost is the same regardless of how many cows you are drafting or your property size.

The price excludes installation at your property and connection to your electricity supply.

We expect to add additional functionality in the future. New features will be optional and competitively priced.

Technology

Draft-M8 uses custom designed electronics and image recognition software, but setup is as easy as answering a few prompts during the installation process.

The image recognition software is trained in Australia, by Australians, with Australian images.
We’ve trained the software to recognise stickers/labels, colours and patterns on the back of each cow and then send a signal to open the appropriate drafting gate for that animal. The image capture and recognition is instant and highly accurate.

Future functionality

There are many other systems and processes on dairy farms that can be automated and improved. These include providing feed mixtures tailored to the cow’s individual needs, and surveillance over calving pens to assess whether assistance is needed.

If there is a particular process you would like to see automated, let us know. We may already be working on a solution.

Delivery, Installation and Support

The Draft-M8 smart system is delivered by courier as a kit with an instruction manual.
The kit includes a camera, wiring harness and control box. The camera just needs to be attached to the roof of the exit gate in your milking shed and powered by a standard power point. A roof will be required over the system and perhaps even shade cloth over the sides depending on the suns orientation to your gate.

The control box uses your farm wi-fi to connect to your access portal. An internet connection is optional.

Read the instruction manual here or watch our YouTube installation video.
If you would like to chat in person, you can catch us at these events where we explain the process in more detail.

We’re easy to get in contact with when you need support – see the support section of our website.

Dealers and wholesale pricing

Dealers can apply for wholesale pricing for bulk orders (3 or more sites).
Please contact us to discuss how we can work together to make the lives of your customers easier.

Additional farm equipment

We can help with additional equipment for your Draft-M8, such as:

• Physical gates
• Automation for gates
• Tablets mounted on kiosks or walls within the milking shed to access the portal.

For many years we have worked with a range of farmers to build, install and maintain equipment on their dairy farms.

We can work with your dealer to make sure that you get the maximum bang for your buck. This includes ensuring your future equipment works seamlessly with your current set up and leverages the investment you have already made.

Please contact us to discuss your needs and obtain a quote.