Automated Cattle Crush with Sensor-Driven Headbail Capture
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing animal handling devices, such as cattle crushes, are labor-intensive, physically demanding, and potentially dangerous for operators and animals, due to manual operation of headbails and backbars.
Innovation Solution
The development of an automated cattle crush with automated headbail capture, back bar operation, and positional sensing, which uses controllers and actuators to automate the capture and restraint of animals, reducing the need for manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual operation of headbails and backbars is used, then device complexity is reduced, but labor intensity and physical demand increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses sensors to detect animal presence and automatically triggers actuators to operate headbails and backbars without human intervention. The crush serves itself by detecting when an animal enters and autonomously performing restraint operations, eliminating the need for manual operation while managing complexity through automated control logic.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical operation of headbails and backbars is replaced with an automated control system comprising sensors, controllers, and actuators. The mechanical system remains but is controlled electronically, substituting human physical operation with automated mechanical actuation driven by sensor inputs and control logic.
2Productivity
If automated headbail capture is implemented, then operation speed increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system prepares the headbails and backbars in advance by positioning them automatically as soon as an animal is detected entering the crush. The actuators are pre-positioned and triggered immediately upon sensor detection, performing the restraint action without delay and maximizing operation speed while using simple trigger-based control logic.
Solution Approach 2:
Sensors continuously monitor animal presence and position within the crush, providing feedback to the control system. This feedback enables the automated system to adjust headbail and backbar operation timing and positioning dynamically, achieving fast and accurate restraint operations while managing complexity through closed-loop control.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If automated back bar operation is used, then safety for operators improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dangerous task of manually operating backbars near restrained animals is extracted from the human operator and assigned to automated actuators. The operator is removed from the hazardous zone entirely, as the system autonomously positions and operates backbars based on sensor input, eliminating exposure to animal aggression while using straightforward automated control.
4Reliability
If positional sensing is added, then handling reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Positional sensors provide continuous feedback on animal location within the crush, enabling the control system to make real-time adjustments to headbail and backbar positioning. This feedback loop ensures reliable restraint by confirming proper animal positioning before and during restraint operations, using simple binary or analog sensor signals rather than complex sensing arrays.
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein is an animal handling device in the form of a cattle crush with automated headbail capture, back bar operation and positional sensing along with methods of use thereof. The crush and method offer automation for functions that in the art have been largely manual and inherently labour intensive, physical and even potentially dangerous for the operator and/or animal.