Anyone who has attempted to weigh a large animal knows it is a challenging task. It often involves coaxing the animal into cramped spaces, a process that is muddy, slow, and expensive.
Meet Dan Bull, the visionary founder of Scanabull. His innovative venture is transforming how animal metrics are measured, using a compact device and cutting-edge 3D imagery to streamline the process.
Scanabull is one of 13 exciting ventures participating in the Spring24 Sprout Accelerator. With a focus on efficiency and ease, Dan is redefining the standards for animal measurement, making it quicker and simpler than ever before.
Though Dan’s career is currently rooted in data and AI, he recalls his time as a sheep and beef farmer, coaxing his animals to the scale or paying someone else to do the same. In his experience, people avoid doing it, instead choosing to use visual cues to determine when an animal should be processed.
“If a 700-kilo bull doesn’t want to be weighed, it’s not going to happen,” he explains, “It's tedious and frustrating, and even if you outsource it, it can get expensive and inaccurate on the day of sale.”
Dan’s solution leverages an AI model running on an iPhone to predict weight based on a 3D image. Eventually, Scanabull will also measure carcass weight, with all data accessible via a smartphone app.
By changing how animal data is gathered, he aims to make collection faster and more affordable, leading to better business decisions across the livestock industry.
His enthusiasm for tackling challenging problems is compelling. He shares, “I love solving a wicked problem—providing real-world solutions for everyone involved, especially for farmers.”
In his market research, Dan discovered that in NZ, one meat company statistic suggests around 20% of animals are out-spec or not to the standard the meat works want. This staggering statistic directly impacts farmers' profits and product quality. He emphasises that processing animals at their ideal weight could lead to significant financial and environmental benefits. With Scanabull’s technology, farmers can accurately measure metrics to enhance efficiency and reduce waste in the meat industry.
Currently, Dan is collecting data at a busy Waikato stockyard, knowing the more data he collects now, the more accurate his tool will be in the future. He also plans to collaborate with local farmers to continue to refine his data further.
Dan is on a mission to create a system that is the most widely used methodology to weigh animals globally. He’s inspired by companies like Halter, which designs solar-powered collars that allow farmers to virtually fence their pastures and monitor their livestock. “They saw a problem and then created a useful product that saves time, improves animal welfare, and fosters better environmental practices on farms,” he says.
Using Scanabull’s innovative approach to weight measurement, Dan provides an invaluable tool for farmers looking to make data-informed decisions and revolutionise their operations. With his cutting-edge technology and global vision, Dan is poised to make a significant impact in the meat industry.