M²erlin Milking Robot vs SRone
Two robotic barn machines, one verified table. Every figure below is sourced and dated; vendor claims are labelled and kept apart from independent results.
The independent alternative to the big-three milking robots — Fullwood (milking robots since 1996, rebranded from Fullwood JOZ) has built the M²erlin since 2014 around an open box, natural walk-through entrance/exit and a quiet electric robot arm. Ten years of incremental upgrades include TDS2 laser udder recognition (2020), FullCount real-time somatic cell counting (2021) and the FULLSENSE software platform (2023). Hundreds of farms run it worldwide; the Meridian variant does robotic batch milking in groups.
Best for: Dairy farms wanting a low-stress open-box robot with per-quarter monitoring from a long-established independent maker, or batch-milking herds (Meridian) that keep parlour-style routines with robot labour.GEA's battery-powered manure scraper robot for slatted floors — a flat, quiet 400 kg unit that pushes slurry through the slats with up to 100 kg of pushing force, turns fully within 2 m and slips under gates. The lateral-guidance SRone cleans up to 8,000 m² of slatted floor per day; the programmable SRone+ extends that to 12,000 m² with custom route plans. Runs up to 19.5 h per day on a 4.5 h quick charge.
Best for: Dairy barns with slatted floors — from simple straight walkways (SRone) to larger barns with complex, personalised routes (SRone+) — wanting continuous slat cleaning without floor cables.| M²erlin Milking Robot Verified 2026-07-16 | SRone Verified 2026-07-17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Robotic barn | Robotic barn |
| Autonomy | Fully autonomous | Fully autonomous |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom | Germany |
| Availability | Available now | Available now |
| EU market | CE-marked | CE-marked |
| Lead time | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Last verified | 2026-07-16 | 2026-07-17 |
| Specifications | ||
| Power source | Mains electric; energy-efficient electric (non-pneumatic) robot arm | High-performance batteries — up to 19.5 h operation/day, 4.5 h quick charge |
| Required tractor power | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Dimensions | Open-box design with natural straight-through cow entrance and exit | Flat, compact profile — passes under gates; full turn within 2 m |
| Weight | Fixed installation | 400 kg |
| Min farm size | Not disclosed | Sized per barn; economic from smaller slatted barns upward |
| Productivity | Higher milkings per cow per day claimed vs conventional parlour routines | Up to 8,000 m²/day (SRone, lateral guidance); up to 12,000 m²/day (SRone+, programmable routes) |
| Max speed | Not applicable | Not disclosed |
| Sensors | TDS2 laser teat/udder recognition · FullQuestFC per-quarter conductivity · FullCount real-time somatic cell count sensor · AfiCollar ID integration | Lateral guidance (SRone); multifunctional control with programmable route plans (SRone+) |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Native price | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Business model | Buy via Fullwood dealer network worldwide | Buy via GEA dealer / Solution Center network |
| Ongoing cost | Service contract; liners and consumables; software/herd-management subscription terms not disclosed | Electricity; battery and blade wear parts; dealer service contract |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | Milking frequency Higher number of milkings per cow per day (voluntary traffic) · vendor | Slatted-floor cleaning capacity Up to 8,000 m²/day autonomous (SRone); 12,000 m²/day (SRone+) · vendor |
| EU context | ||
| CE marking | CE marked | CE marked |
| Machinery Regulation | Placed on the EU/UK markets by Fullwood under the applicable machinery regimes | Compliant — Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 (DE manufacturer); Swiss market access via CH–EU Mutual Recognition Agreement |
| CAP subsidy | Eligible under rural-development livestock schemes in several member states | Eligible under rural-development livestock schemes; CH — cantonal structural-improvement credits may apply |
"—" means the manufacturer has not disclosed the figure; we never estimate silently. Model either machine's payback with your own numbers on its ROI calculator page.