The Robot AwardFirst Prize(Nursing Care, Medical Care, and Construction Category)

RoboRack®, an automatic breeding
system for research mice
Global Linx Technology Co., Ltd.

Gentle on people and mice alike,
proposing a new breeding method
Breeding area

■What is RoboRack® ?

Changing Area

RoboRack® is the world’s first robot that automatically breeds miceused for medical and other research experiments.
To outline what is involved in raising mice:

Cage lid
stocker

Breedingshelves

1. Changing bedding (Replacing old cages with new,Cagestocker

Holds 40 cages(standard model)and providing new bedding)

Bedding
material
supplydevice*Each shelf has a water
nozzle in the back.

2. Feeding (Giving food to the mice)

3. Watering (Giving water to the mice)

And more. But until now, this has all been done by hand.

Research for the RoboRack® began seven years ago. It does allthese things without the need for human hands.

■Current situation and issues with animal testing

Animal testing is necessary for developing medical technology,

Transport robot

Cage replacing
robot

Feed supply
deviceWaste bedding material
collection device

pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals, chemical products,cosmetics, food additives and more. It is used to study the safety,■Thanks to automation with RoboRack®

fields of medicine and pharmacology, animal testing is veryof laboratory mice, and breeding has mainly been done manually.

efficacy, and danger of all kinds of substances. In particular, in theimportant, as it is an essential step before clinical experiments(clinical trials) can be held. In recent years, animal testing has beenused in the development of new drugs for the treatment of cancer
and other incurable diseases, as well as in the development ofregenerative medical technology such as IPS cells. Its importanceis being increasingly recognized as it has played a valuable role infighting COVID-19, which is now raging worldwide.

Meanwhile, in recent years there has been a strong demand for

Until now, it has been considered difficult to automate the breeding
The RoboRack® has automated this breeding work, which not only
reduces the workload of animal caretakers, but it also avoids risk

and improves the accuracy and reproducibility of experiments bylimiting the contact between humans and animals. The company
believes that this will contribute to the development of medical
science in Japan and around the world by making it possible toconduct experiments that meet a wider range of requirements.

The RoboRack® also provides excellent care for laboratory mice.

appropriate animal experiments from the perspective of animal

Thorough attention to detail means that noise has been limited in

avoid causing unnecessary pain and stress to laboratory animals.

RoboRack ® in action, see the company’s website for a video:

welfare, and research institutions are taking the utmost care toHowever, in reality, it is very difficult to take practical measures
such as maintaining breeding standards.

order to prevent unnecessary stress to the mice. To watch a
http://www.glinx.co.jp/products02/index.html

In addition, due to the spread of COVID-19 that has been rampant

It goes without saying that the development of medical research will

extremely difficult to secure staff and work hours at sites that aremankind. Global Linx Technologies are convinced that RoboRack®

since last year, access to experimental facilities is limited, making it
already facing a labor shortage.

continue to play an important role in ensuring a healthy life forwill revolutionize the medical research industry.

Contact:

Global Linx Technology Co., Ltd.

Address: 943-1 Nishioka-cho, Naka Ward, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka
Staff in charge of RoboRack®, Planning OfficeTel: 053-401-0882 URL: http://www.glinx.co.jp
THE 9TH ROBOT AWARD

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