Abstract:
A system includes a milking box stall of a size sufficient to accommodate a dairy livestock. The milking box stall comprises a front wall, a rear wall, a first side wall and a second side wall. The system further includes an equipment portion located adjacent to the rear wall. The equipment portion comprises a separation container for use with only the milking box stall and that is operable to receive milk from the dairy livestock to be discarded if it is determined to be bad milk. The equipment portion further comprises a receiver jar for use with only the milking box stall and that is operable to receive milk from the dairy livestock if it is determined to be good milk.
Abstract:
A method of operating a robotic attacher, includes suspending a robotic attacher from a rail and extending the robotic attacher between the legs of a dairy livestock. The method continues by attaching milking equipment to the dairy livestock using a gripping portion of the robotic attacher during a milking operation, wherein the gripping portion has a nozzle that is positioned away from a teat of the dairy livestock during the milking operation. The method concludes by rotating the gripping portion of the robotic attacher so that the nozzle is positioned to face a teat of the dairy livestock during a spraying operation.
Abstract:
This invention is related to a double grab, its rinsing cup and milking machine provided therewith, and the method for automatically applying teat cups to the teats of an udder of an animal to be milked. The double grab according to the invention includes:—a first housing part provided with a first magnet designed to hold a first teat cup;—a second housing part, installed substantially in a horizontal plane next to the first housing part, provided with a second magnet designed to hold a second teat cup;—whereby each housing part is provided with separate pivoting means that can be activated and is designed to make the related housing part pivot around a pivoting axis which in use, extends substantially in a horizontal direction, substantially in a widthwise direction of the arm.
Abstract:
A system for operating a robotic arm, comprises a controller and a robotic arm. The controller receives an indication that a stall of a rotary milking platform in which a dairy livestock is located has moved into an area adjacent a robotic arm that is detached from the rotary milking platform. The controller also determines whether a milking cluster is attached to the dairy livestock. The robotic arm is communicatively coupled to the controller and extends between the legs of the dairy livestock if the controller determines that the milking cluster is not attached to the dairy livestock. The robotic arm does not extend between the legs of the dairy livestock if the controller determines that the milking cluster is attached to the dairy livestock.
Abstract:
A system includes a camera, a controller and a robotic arm. The camera generates an image of an udder of a dairy livestock. The controller determines a position of the udder of the dairy livestock based at least in part upon the image. The controller further determines a spray position based at least in part upon the determined position of the udder of the dairy livestock. Determining the spray position includes processing the accessed image to determine a tangent at the rear of the udder and a tangent at the bottom of the udder. The spray position is a position relative to the intersection of the two tangents. The robotic arm is communicatively coupled to the controller and positions a spray tool at the spray position.
Abstract:
A method comprises extending a robotic attacher under a dairy livestock positioned in a milking stall, wherein the robotic attacher comprises a nozzle that is positioned generally on the bottom of the robotic attacher during a first operation. The method further comprises rotating the robotic attacher during a second operation such that the nozzle is positioned generally on the top of the robotic attacher.
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:
A method for estrus detection includes storing location information associated with a dairy livestock. This information includes coordinate locations of the dairy livestock within a free stall pen at each of a plurality of times during a time period including a first time and a second time. The coordinate locations comprise at least a first (X, Y, Z) location of the dairy livestock at the first time and a second (X, Y, Z) location of the dairy livestock at the second time. The method further includes determining, based on at least the first and second (X, Y, Z) locations, a turn index parameter indicating a number of times the dairy livestock reverses directions during the time period. The method further includes determining whether the dairy livestock is likely to be in estrus based at least in part upon whether the determined turn index parameter is in excess of a baseline turn index parameter by more than a first predefined amount.
Abstract:
A robotic attacher comprises a gripping portion, a vision system positioned on a first surface of the gripping portion, and at least one nozzle positioned on a second surface of the gripping portion. The gripping portion is rotates about a longitudinal axis such that during a first time, the vision system is positioned generally on 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 robotic arm, camera, and a controller. The camera is positioned on a surface of the robotic arm and emits a laser signal at an upward, non-zero angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the robotic arm. The controller instructs the robotic arm to grip a milking cup, and determines a position of a teat of the dairy livestock based at least in part upon the non-zero angle of the laser signal emitted by the camera. The controller instructs the robotic arm to move the milking cup towards the determined position of the teat between the hind legs of the dairy livestock from the rear, release the milking cup in response to the milking cup being attached to the teat. move in an upward direction towards an udder of the dairy livestock in conjunction with the robotic arm releasing the milking cup, and to move away from the teat.