Robot Milking Control for Failed Teat Cup Connection Attempts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robot milking devices experience reduced milk yield due to prolonged occupation and inefficiency from repeated failed connection attempts of milking cups to dairy animal teats, leading to unnecessary delays and increased manual intervention.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that adapt the milking criterion, specifically the milking interval, based on the number of failed connection attempts to optimize teat positioning and improve connection success, using a teat position determination system and controller to automatically adjust the milking frequency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the robot milking device makes multiple connection attempts to attach milking cups to teats, then the connection success rate improves, but the occupation time increases and milk yield decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the milking criterion parameter based on the number of failed connection attempts. When failures exceed a threshold, the system modifies the milking criterion to extend the milking interval, thereby changing the operational parameters to improve connection success while managing occupation time
Solution Approach 2:
The controller monitors and records the number of failed connection attempts in real-time. This feedback mechanism triggers automatic adaptation of the milking criterion when failure thresholds are exceeded, creating a closed-loop control system that balances connection reliability with productivity
2Reliability
If the robot milking device occupies the dairy animal for longer during repeated connection attempts, then more connection opportunities are available, but the overall milking efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The milking criterion is made dynamic rather than static. The system automatically adapts the milking interval based on real-time connection success data, extending intervals when connection failures occur to reduce repeated occupation attempts and thereby reducing total occupation time while maintaining connection reliability
3Measurement precision
If the milking criterion is made more stringent to reduce false positive milking admissions, then milking accuracy improves, but the number of successful milkings decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The milking criterion dynamically adapts based on connection success rates. The system adjusts the strictness of the milking admission criterion in response to connection failure patterns, optimizing the balance between detection accuracy and milking opportunities
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the milking criterion parameter (milking interval) based on observed connection failure patterns. By extending the milking interval when failures occur, the system allows udder fill level to change, which can improve teat position detection accuracy while managing the frequency of milking attempts
Data Source
Figure 1~2B
AI summary
A method for milking a dairy animal by means of a robot milking device (1) with a teat position determination system (5) and a controller (6), comprising: - if the dairy animal fulfils a milking criterion, in a milking, allowing the robot milking device, with the help of a teat position determination system, to make one or more connection attempts for connecting at least one milking cup (4) to a teat of the dairy animal, - milking with all connected milking cups, wherein the controller records the number of failed connection attempts, - if the number of failed connection attempts #MA in a predefined number of milkings, which number of milkings is at least equal to a predefined number #MB, fulfils a predefined criterion, automatically adapting the milking criterion by means of the controller.