14 “The goal was simple: make the tool seamless, intuitive, and valuable for every stakeholder, from the person counting the pigs to the business owner analyzing performance,” continues Labrecque. “But, through this journey, one truth became clear. Building AI for this industry is about much more than AI,” he explained. “It’s about being a pioneer, yes, but that means guiding the change, not just sparking it. It’s our responsibility to help farmers adopt the technology, not just use it.” Labrecque said that Ro-Main is continuing that mission with its next product, SmaRt Weight, which he says will debut at the 2025 World Pork Expo, June 4-5, 2025, in Des Moines, Iowa. “The SmaRt Weight is an add-on to SmaRt Counting, which provides not only pig counts but also average weights and coefficient of variation—with zero extra effort,” he points out. “This gives farmers instant insight into the uniformity of a group, which in turn reflects how well the animals were managed during early life. “That data,” he continues, “helps save time and money and can guide decisions about treatment, feeding, and forecasting through to market. It’s not just about better data; it’s about actionable intelligence, available instantly, at scale.” AI, and particularly deep learning, has opened a new era in swine monitoring “by allowing us to capture and analyze unstructured data—like images, video, or even sound—24/7, just as if we had human senses present in the barn at all times.” Cameras and microphones can now continuously observe animal behavior, while AI interprets the data in real-time to detect patterns, count pigs, and monitor their well-being. “One of AI’s greatest strengths is its ability to learn from variation,” reveals Labrecque. “In a pig barn, for example, where lighting conditions, animal sizes, and movement can vary widely, deep learning allows our systems to adapt and perform with a high level of precision. That said, AI is not magic, nor is it a human brain. Because it’s a powerful tool, it needs the right conditions and training to perform reliably. “That’s why, when we design our products, we don’t just rely on AI. We take a holistic approach,” he notes. “We identify edge cases—unusual but important situations—and we adapt our hardware and processes to reduce the burden on the algorithm. Sometimes that means improving lighting, adjusting camera angles, or engineering mechanical features that create more consistency in the environment,” offers Labrecque. “Ultimately, it’s the combination of human ingenuity and AI capabilities that makes these systems work so well. “The goal isn’t just to make smart tools,” he sums up, “it’s to make smart tools that work on real farms, under real-world conditions.” In February 2025, Ro-Main joined the IMV Technologies Group, a global leader in assisted reproduction biotechnologies, for a partnership expected to accelerate Ro-Main’s growth and further its mission of providing sustainable, high-tech solutions for animal farming. Ro-Main Current Product Portfolio: • SmaRt Counting: An AI-powered system that automatically counts pigs with high accuracy, aiding in inventory management. • SmaRt Breeding: A tool that monitors sow behavior to determine optimal insemination times, improving reproductive efficiency. • Contact-O-Max: A self-propelled, remotecontrolled boar cart that optimizes sow sexual stimulation by ensuring sustained and precise snout-to-snout contact, improving reproductive performance. • Hercules’ Arm: A self-propelled carcass cart designed to assist in the safe and ergonomic removal of deceased animals, especially large sows, from tight spaces, enhancing worker safety. • Companion Cart: A self-propelled carcass cart designed to assist in the safe and ergonomic removal of deceased animals, especially gilts and finisher pigs, enhancing worker safety. • No Backdraft: A ventilation solution that prevents air backflow, maintaining stable and microbe-free barn environments. For more information on Ro-Main, visit www.ro-main.com. | pag
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