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:
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 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.
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 is operable to rotate such that at a first time, a nozzle is positioned generally on the bottom of the gripping portion, and at a second time, the nozzle is positioned generally on the top of the gripping portion.
Abstract:
A system includes a milking box and a robotic arm. The milking box comprises a stall portion that houses a dairy livestock with four teats. The robotic arm performs the following operation for a plurality of teats of the dairy livestock: retrieves a cup; attaches the cup to a teat; and detaches the cup from the teat. The cup is maintained within the stall portion of the milking box from the time that the cup is attached to a first teat of the dairy livestock through the time that the cup is attached to a last teat of the dairy livestock. The cup is retracted into an equipment area of the milking box after it is detached from the last teat of the dairy livestock.
Abstract:
A leg (205) detection system comprising: a robotic arm (200) comprising a gripping portion (208) for holding a teat cup (203, 210) for attaching to a teat (1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, 203S, 203) of a dairy livestock (200, 202, 203); an imaging system coupled to the robotic arm (200) and configured to capture a first three-dimensional (3D) image (138, 2400, 2500) of a rearview of the dairy livestock (200, 202, 203) in a stall (402), the imaging system comprising a 3D camera (136, 138) or a laser (132), wherein each pixel of the first 3D image (138, 2400, 2500) is associated with a depth value; one or more memory (104) devices configured to store a reference (3D) 3D image (138, 2400, 2500) of the stall (402) without any dairy livestock (200, 202, 203); and a processor (102) communicatively coupled to the imaging system and the one or more memory (104) devices, the processor (102) configured to: access the first 3D image (138, 2400, 2500) and the reference (3D) 3D image (138, 2400, 2500); subtract the first 3D image (138, 2400, 2500) from the reference (3D) 3D image (138, 2400, 2500) to produce a second 3D image (138, 2400, 2500); perform morphological image (138, 2400, 2500) processing on the second 3D image (138, 2400, 2500) to produce a third 3D image (138, 2400, 2500); perform image (138, 2400, 2500) thresholding on the third 3D image (138, 2400, 2500) to produce a fourth 3D image (138, 2400, 2500); cluster (2616, 2618, 2626, 2628) data from the fourth 3D image (138, 2400, 2500); identify, using the clustered data from the fourth 3D image (138, 2400, 2500), one or more legs (205) of the dairy livestock (200, 202, 203); and provide instructions for movements of the robotic arm (200) to avoid the identified one or more legs (205) while attaching the teat cup (203, 210) to the teat (1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, 203S, 203) of the dairy livestock (200, 202, 203).
Abstract:
An apparatus includes a carriage, a platform, an extension member, and a spray tool member. The carriage moves along the track in a lateral direction. The platform is coupled to and positioned above the carriage. The length of the platform is greater than and orthogonal to the width of the platform and transverse to the lateral direction when in an operational state. The platform pivots about a fulcrum positioned between the platform and the carriage such that the front end and the back end of the platform move vertically in opposite directions. The extension member is movably coupled to the platform and has a longitudinal axis parallel to the length of the platform. The extension member extends away from the carriage in a first mode and retracts towards the carriage in a second mode. The spray tool member is coupled to the front end of the extension member.
Abstract:
An apparatus includes a platform, controller, and first and second extension members, brush tool members, and brush tools. The platform has a length orthogonal to and greater than its width. The first and second extension members are movably coupled to the platform and their longitudinal axes are parallel to the length of the platform. The first and second brush tool members are coupled to and extend along the longitudinal axes of the first and second extension members respectively. The first and second brush tools are coupled to and extend along the longitudinal axes of the first and second brush tool members respectively. The controller moves the first extension member towards the front end of the platform, retracts the first extension member towards the back end of the platform, and at a second time after the first time, moves the second extension member towards the front end of the platform.
Abstract:
An apparatus includes a carriage, a foundation, a pivot coupler, a platform, a coupler, a linear actuator, an extension member, a spray tool member, and a controller. The carriage moves along the track. The foundation is coupled to the carriage. The pivot coupler is coupled to the foundation. The coupler is coupled to the platform. The coupler couples the platform to the pivot coupler. The extension member is coupled to the linear actuator. The spray tool member is coupled to the extension member. The controller is configured to cause the carriage to move along the track, the platform to pivot, and the extension member to move in the lengthwise direction to position a spray tool coupled to the spray tool member at a spray position from which the spray tool may discharge a solution to a teat of a dairy livestock.