Abstract:
A robotic attacher retrieves a preparation cup from the left side of an equipment area located behind a dairy livestock and attaches and detaches the preparation cup to the teats of the dairy livestock in sequence. The sequence comprises attaching and detaching the preparation cup to the right front teat, the left front teat, the left rear teat, and the right rear teat.
Abstract:
A crowd gate control system includes a holding pen for dairy livestock, wherein the holding pen is adjacent to an entrance to a milking parlor. The system further includes a crowd gate positioned at a side of the holding pen. The crowd gate moves in relation to the entrance to the milking parlor. A controller is initiates a first mode of operation of the crowd gate prior to the crowd gate reaching the entrance to the milking parlor. The first mode of operation is a pre-forward reverse step. The crowd gate moves away from the entrance to the milking parlor prior to initiating movement towards the entrance.
Abstract:
A system includes a milking box and a robotic attacher. The milking box has a stall to accommodate a dairy livestock. The robotic attacher extends under the dairy livestock and comprises a nozzle. The robotic attacher is operable to rotate such that, during a first operation, the nozzle is positioned generally on the bottom of the robotic attacher, and during a second operation, the nozzle is positioned generally on the top of the robotic attacher.
Abstract:
A method, comprises receiving a flow of milk at an inlet of a manifold. The inlet comprises a first end coupled to a hose that receives a flow of milk from a teat cup and a second end terminating in a chamber of the manifold. The manifold comprises one or more other inlets and a plurality of outlets. The plurality of outlets includes one or more milk collector outlets and one or more drain outlets. The method proceeds by causing the flow of milk to be directed to a corresponding milk collector outlet by causing a shut-off valve corresponding to the inlet to open, and by causing a drain valve corresponding to the inlet to close. The method concludes by causing the flow of milk to be directed to a corresponding drain outlet by causing the shut-off valve corresponding to the inlet to close, and by causing the drain valve corresponding to the inlet to open.
Abstract:
A system includes a three-dimensional camera and a processor communicatively coupled to the three-dimensional camera. The processor is operable to determine a first and second edge of a dairy livestock. The first edge includes an inner portion of a first hind leg and a first portion of an udder of the dairy livestock. The second edge includes an inner portion of a second hind leg and a second portion of the udder of the dairy livestock. The processor calculates a reference point associated with the udder of the dairy livestock based at least in part upon the first edge and the second edge. A robotic attacher moves toward the udder of the dairy livestock based at least in part upon the calculated reference point.
Abstract:
In certain embodiments, a packaged terminal device for killing pests in an affected area includes a housing configured to be positioned at least partially within an affected area, a fan positioned within the housing, and one or more heating elements positioned within the housing. The fan is operable to draw a flow of air from the affected area into the housing. The one or more heating elements are operable to generate heated air by transferring heat to the flow of air. The packaged terminal device further includes a control unit operable to control the operation of the one or more heating elements in order to cause the packaged terminal device to operate in either a first mode or a second mode. In the first mode, the operation of the one or more heating elements is controlled such that sufficient heated air is generated to heat at least a portion of the affected area to a temperature less than or equal to a first predefined temperature. In the second mode, the operation of the one or more heating elements is controlled such that sufficient heated air is generated to heat at least a portion of the affected area to a temperature greater than or equal to a second predefined temperature, the second predefined temperature being greater than the first predefined temperature.
Abstract:
A milking robot comprises a frame that is movable along a guide track that is positioned adjacent to a rotary platform such that the frame can move in conjunction with the movement of the rotary platform. The milking robot further comprises a moveable arm having a first end that couples to the frame and a second end that extends in a longitudinal direction, and at least one gripper coupled to the movable arm at the second end. The gripper is extendable in the longitudinal direction of the movable arm.
Abstract:
A system includes a front wall, a rear wall opposite the front wall, and first and second side walls extending between the front wall and the rear wall. The first side wall includes a gate, and the second side wall is spaced apart from the first side wall such that the front wall, the rear wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall define a milking box stall that accommodates a dairy livestock. The system includes an equipment portion adjacent to the rear wall. It houses a separation container that receives milk to be discarded from the dairy livestock. The equipment portion further houses a robotic attacher that extends from behind and between the rear legs of a dairy livestock located within the milking box stall in order to attach milking equipment to the dairy livestock.
Abstract:
A method comprises receiving a displacement signal generated by a sensor, the displacement signal generated by the sensor in response to detecting movement of a piston from a retracted position in a cylinder toward an extended position in the cylinder. The method further comprises generating, in response to receiving the displacement signal, a valve control signal to be communicated to a valve located on a vacuum line connecting a vacuum source to a vacuum port of the cylinder. The valve control signal causes the valve to move from a first position in which a vacuum pressure is applied to the cylinder via the vacuum port to a second position in which atmospheric pressure is applied to the cylinder via the vacuum port.
Abstract:
A system includes a carriage track positioned adjacent to a rotary milking platform, a robot carriage mounted to the carriage track, and a controller. The controller causes the robot carriage to move linearly along the carriage track in conjunction with a rotational movement of the rotary milking platform such that a first linear position of the robot carriage aligns with a first rotational position of a milking stall of the rotary milking platform and a second linear position of the robot carriage aligns with a second rotational position of the milking stall of the rotary milking platform.