We’ve done something new! AI Technology

September 7, 2022

Our software engineers have been working diligently to introduce a new pill detection resource for our fleet of towers across the US. 

The OLD way

Prior to this improvement, our detection algorithms relied on having high contrast between the pill and the dispensing surface. This was high-maintenance requiring frequent adjustments by our team to account for dust buildup, dark pills, and pills with dark writing. It was also susceptible to variations from one dispensing tower to the next leading to even more adjustments needed for busy, multi-tower pharmacies.

The NEW way

Our new AI detection algorithms looks for pill-shaped objects based off of 50,000+ images analyzed using convolutional neural network technology (for those curious to know more). This is the same technology used by tech giants like Facebook, Google and many others.

This new software capability added to our dispensing repertoire provides improved pill detection and position/speed measurements on the dispensing ramp. Continual improvement in dispensing results across the community has been observed with better recognition of broken/deficient canisters.

Enhancements to our motion control code and motor motion profiles are showing a positive trend of reducing dispensing errors and has allowed formerly hard-to-dispense drugs being introduced back into DOSIS processing depending on the color, shape, imprint, etc. We expect to see these improvements continue as our dispensing experience and knowledge grows.

Real-world results are showing a reduction of detection issues by over a third.

Because of these reductions this new technology requires much less intervention by our support team meaning fewer delays in realizing improved performance. AI is just one of the many improvements our engineers work towards every year to ensure reliable dispensing every time.

Our desire is for your pharmacy to see the impact of automation in your efficiency, productivity and ultimately the bottom-line.

Let us know how we can answer your questions regarding automation in your pharmacy.