AI Case Study
The Good Doctor Pharmaceutical Group's farm achieves manufacturing efficiency in breeding cockroaches for medicinal purposes through an AI-powered smart system
The Good Doctor Pharmaceutical Group's farm in Xichang, China leverages AI to monitor the environment of its cockroach production facility. The breeding of 6 billion cockroaches per year is for medicinal reasons, with the insects being the sole ingredient in a remedy used to cure stomach aches and other ailments available in drug stores. According to an official report, more than 4,000 hospitals are supplied with the potion, which has cured 40 million patients with respiratory, gastric and other diseases.
Industry
Healthcare
Pharmaceuticals And Biotech
Project Overview
"The chinese farm breeding 6 billion adult cockroaches a year is using AI as part of the production process for a "healing potion" consumed by millions of patients in China, according to the government.
There are many cockroach breeding facilities in China, for use as an ingredient in medicine or as a source of protein for livestock feed. The facility achieved its unrivalled efficiency partly by being controlled by a "smart manufacturing" system powered by artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, according to the report.
The system constantly collects and analyses more than 80 categories of "big data," including humidity, temperature, food supply and consumption. It monitors changes such as genetic mutations and how these affect the growing rates of individual cockroaches." (businessinsider)
Function
R And D
Product Development
Background
Reported Results
At the time of the government report, the farm had generated a total of 4.3 billion yuan (US$684 million) in revenue over the years by manufacturing a concoction made entirely of cockroaches.
More than 40 million patients with respiratory, gastric and other diseases were claimed to be cured after taking the potion on doctors' prescriptions, according to the official report, which stated that the farm was selling it to more than 4,000 hospitals across the country. (businessinsider)
Benefits
Technology
Dr Zhang Wei, former assistant researcher at the College of Mechanical Engineering at Zhejiang University, who was involved in the development of the system, confirmed the use of AI technology in the project but declined to give details. (businessinsider)
Data
Big data, including humidity, temperature, food supply and consumption