Abstract:
A robotic attacher comprises a main arm, a supplemental arm coupled to the main arm, and a gripping portion coupled to the supplemental arm. The gripping portion comprises at least one nozzle and is operable to rotate such that during a first time, the nozzle is positioned away from the top of the gripping portion, and during a second time, the nozzle is positioned generally on the top of the gripping portion.
Abstract:
A system comprises a milking box, a robotic attacher, a sensor, and a controller. The milking box has a stall to accommodate a dairy livestock. The stall comprises a first exit gate on a first side of the stall leading to a first sorting region and a second exit gate on a second side of the stall leading to a second sorting region. The robotic attacher extends from the rear between the hind legs of the dairy livestock, move in at least one direction along the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis, and attach milking equipment to the dairy livestock. The sensor identifies the dairy livestock within the milking box stall. The controller selects and opens the first exit gate or the second exit gate based at least in part upon the identity of the dairy livestock in order to direct the first dairy livestock into either the first sorting region or the second sorting region.
Abstract:
In certain embodiments, a system includes a front wall, a rear wall positioned substantially parallel to the front wall, and first and second side walls each 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 of a size sufficient to accommodate a dairy livestock. The system includes an equipment portion located adjacent to the rear wall. The equipment portion houses a robotic attacher configured to extend 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 robotic attacher retrieves cups from the right side of an equipment area located behind a dairy livestock and attaches the cups to the teats of the dairy livestock in sequence. The sequence comprises attaching a first cup to the right front teat, a second cup to the left front teat, a third cup to the right rear teat, and a fourth cup to the left rear teat.
Abstract:
A robotic attacher retrieves cups from the left side of an equipment area located behind a dairy livestock and attaches the cups to the teats of the dairy livestock in sequence. The sequence comprises attaching a first cup to the left front teat, a second cup to the right front teat, a third cup to the left rear teat, and a fourth cup to the right rear teat.
Abstract:
A system for cleaning a dairy animal milker unit and applying dip to a dairy animal, the system includes a main control, an air supply, a water supply, a backflush fluid supply, a dip supply, a stall control for receiving the air, water, backflush fluid and dip supplies, and a safety valve that is adjacent to a downstream portion of the milker unit to control backflush and dip fluids being fed to the milker unit.
Abstract:
A method that can monitor a milking process is presented and, in particular, a method and apparatus that can effectively determine the stage of the milking process. An additional aspect is to provide a method that may measure a vacuum level associated with the milking process, receive an operational state of a valve associated with the milking process, and compare the vacuum level and valve operational state to criteria to determine the milking stage. Further, the method may be configured to issue an indication of the milking stage or issue an alarm if alarm conditions are satisfied.
Abstract:
A system comprises a memory and a processor. The memory stores information about a milking stall where a dairy livestock is located at a first time, and a coordinate location of the dairy livestock at a second time. The processor is communicatively coupled to the memory and determines if the coordinate location of the dairy livestock at the second time is different than the milking stall where the dairy livestock is located at the first time. If the coordinate location where the dairy livestock is located at the second time is not the milking stall, the processor generates an error flag associated with the dairy livestock.
Abstract:
In certain embodiments, a method for milking stall assignment includes storing first location information associated with a dairy livestock, the first location information comprising a coordinate location of the dairy livestock within a milking parlor at a first time. The method further includes comparing the stored first location information associated with the dairy livestock with an area associated with each of a plurality of milking stalls of the milking parlor to identify a milking stall in which the dairy cow is located at the first time and assigning the dairy livestock to the milking stall in which the dairy cow is located at the first time such that data associated with milking of the dairy livestock may be associated with the dairy cow.
Abstract:
A milking device includes a vessel and cover plate. The vessel and the cover plate form a sealed volume that is internally divided into a collecting chamber, a vacuum chamber and an air intake chamber. The collecting chamber is arranged between the vacuum chamber and the air intake chamber. The vessel has a first internal wall that separates the collecting chamber from the air intake chamber, with a first passage between the collecting chamber and the air intake chamber arranged at the first internal wall. The vessel has a second internal wall that separates the collecting chamber from the vacuum chamber, with a second passage between the collecting chamber and the vacuum chamber arranged at the second internal wall.