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It all goes back to Uri Taschs boyhood summers spent on kibbutzim in his native Israel and the love of animals he developed there. Today, Tasch, a renowned expert in the field of robotics and professor of mechanical engineering at UMBC, has designed a revolutionary device that can save dairy and livestock farmers millions of dollars a year.

The Reaction Force Detection (RFD) system is a modern solution to the age-old farming problem of lameness, which can be caused by injury, arthritis or infection. Although lameness is treatable, it is very difficult to detect, even by trained veterinarians. By the time a cow is noticeably limping or favoring a leg, the condition has reached an advanced stage, leading to a financial loss for the farmer from reduced milk yields and increased vet bills.

The RFD system is a walk-across platform that employs sensors to automatically measure the force and duration of an animals steps, factors in its weight and then uses computer analysis to precisely pinpoint which leg might be causing problems. The RFD system has been licensed for development by DEC International, a New-Zealand based leader in the dairy automation field.

Working with Tasch on the RFD project for three years, UMBC mechical engineering graduate student Parimal Rajkondawar is please dwith the results both personally and professionally. "It's really exciting to see how the project that includes my Ph.D. thesis will be commercialized all over the world in the coming years," he says.

Rajkondawar recently joined others from UMBC to celebrate Tasch's recognition by the Maryland Daily Record as an Innovator of the Year for his work. Tasch, Rajkondawar and the rest of the research team are now exploring applications of the device for horses, chickens and even lab animals.