Multi-Line Animal Rack Feeding Robot With Sensor-Guided Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated feeding systems for animal containment recipients in breeding facilities are limited to individual lines of racks, requiring multiple installations and increasing operational costs, especially in facilities with varying rack capacities.
Innovation Solution
An automated system featuring a robot with a locomotion platform and lifting mechanism that navigates along a horizontal, linear track, enabling precise feeding across multiple lines of racks using sensors and a central processing unit to manage feeding parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If multiple individual automated systems are installed for each line of racks, then feeding automation is achieved for each line, but operating and maintenance costs significantly increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single automated feeding system is designed to serve multiple lines of racks simultaneously. The system includes a robotic unit with locomotion capability that can travel along multiple rack lines, a lifting mechanism to access different rack levels, and a feeding mechanism that can service multiple containment recipients. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate automated systems for each rack line, reducing overall device complexity and operational costs while maintaining feeding automation across the entire facility.
2Device complexity
If manual feeding is used, then operational costs are lower, but high demand of human resources is required
Solution Approach 1:
The automated feeding system operates autonomously without continuous human intervention. The robotic unit navigates independently along rack lines using sensor-based navigation, the lifting mechanism automatically positions the feeding mechanism at the correct height and location, and the feeding system dispenses substances to containment recipients based on pre-programmed schedules and parameters. This self-service capability eliminates the need for manual feeding operations while significantly improving feeding efficiency and productivity.
3Device complexity
If a single automated system serves multiple rack lines, then costs are reduced, but the system must navigate and position precisely across different locations
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic unit is equipped with sensorial navigation units that continuously monitor its position and orientation as it moves along rack lines. These sensors provide real-time feedback to the central processing unit, which adjusts the locomotion platform's trajectory and the lifting mechanism's positioning to achieve precise alignment with target containment recipients. This feedback control ensures accurate substance delivery despite the system's mobility across multiple rack lines.
Data Source
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AI summary
Automated device for the controlled feeding of substances to animal containment recipients in an animal breeding facility including at least one rack for such animal containment recipients arranged in lines (1) comprising a plurality of animal containment recipients (2), in which said recipients are arranged in the form of a grid on the rack (1); wherein the device includes a robot (3) with a locomotion platform, a lifting mechanism, a feeding platform, a feeding circuit, a central processing unit and travels on a horizontal, linear track (9) with a reflective strip (10). The automated device solves the problems of the state of the art, as it travels between various lines of racks (1), preventing the need for installing individualized systems per rack (1), having high precision in terms of Cartesian coordinates when feeding the animals in the recipients (2), including laser scanning sensors (30) and optical sensors for following a reflective strip (32).