Automatic Milking: Development of a Robot System and Ultrasonic Teat Location

Abstract

A robot was developed at FAL, Braunschweig to devise techniques for robotic teat cup attachment. A stall with cow identification, concentrate feeder, milking machine, teat cup removal system and sensors was located next to the robot. The robot was built with three linear axes, one rotational axis and a pneumatic teat cup gripper controlled by a multiple processor personal computer-based system.A method of teat location was developed using ultrasonic transducers mounted on the robot arm and on the stall. The system was very repeatable in detecting test teats but stall sensors were found necessary to detect the movement of cows. Four cows were milked for 2 weeks on separate occasions, with and without movement detection. Successful attachment of teat cups rose from 45% without movement detection to 94% with detection. An ultrasonic teat location system is feasible but cow movement must be detected.