Robot Milking Feed Control for Capacity and Feed Deficit Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robot milking devices face a challenge in optimizing milking capacity while minimizing the risk of feed deficit for dairy animals, particularly when they are the sole source of concentrate, leading to reduced efficiency and potential health issues.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that dynamically adjust feeding times based on the robot's available capacity and animal identification, ensuring dairy animals receive additional feed during less occupied periods, thereby reducing the risk of feed deficit without compromising milking efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the robot milking device guarantees that dairy animals can always eat their assigned portion of concentrate, then the feed deficit risk is reduced, but the total milking capacity is lowered
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts feeding strategies based on real-time robot capacity status. When the robot has free capacity, it provides additional feed to animals that need it. When the robot is occupied, it maintains standard feeding schedules. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain both high milking capacity and reduced feed deficit risk without compromising either function.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller changes the feeding parameter (additional feed provision) based on the robot's capacity state. By monitoring whether the robot is occupied or has free capacity, the system adjusts the feeding behavior accordingly - providing supplemental feed only when capacity allows, thus maintaining milking productivity while ensuring feed intake for animals that need it.
2Reliability
If the robot milking device provides additional feed to all animals, then the feed allowance is ensured, but animals with sufficient feed wait unnecessarily long
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different feeding quality to different animals based on their individual needs. Instead of uniformly providing additional feed to all animals, the controller identifies which animals actually need supplemental feed (those with high feed allowance requirements) and provides it selectively to them, while standard animals receive only their regular feed schedule.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides partial additional feeding rather than excessive feeding to all animals. By calculating the actual feed deficit for each animal and providing feed only to the extent needed, the system avoids unnecessary waiting time for animals that don't require supplemental feed, while still ensuring adequate feed intake for those that do.
3Productivity
If the robot milking device maximizes milking capacity, then productivity is improved, but the risk of feed deficit increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller continuously monitors the robot's capacity status and uses this feedback to adjust feeding decisions. When the robot is occupied and cannot provide additional feed, the system knows this and adjusts its feeding strategy accordingly. This feedback mechanism allows the system to maintain high milking capacity while using available capacity to prevent feed deficits where possible.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary calculations of feed allowances and capacity availability before actual feeding occurs. By predicting which animals will need supplemental feed and when the robot will have available capacity, the system can plan feeding actions in advance, ensuring feed deficit prevention without interfering with milking operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A robot milking device includes a milking site, an animal identification device, robot milking means, a feeding device for providing feed to the dairy animal during the milking based on a feed allowance, and a controller for the robot milking system and for updating feed allowance. The method includes selecting a future time period, determining a free capacity C of the robot milking system, determining a sub-group of the dairy animals for which the controller may continue to provide feed after the milking, milking and feeding the dairy animals which visit the milking system, and additionally feeding a dairy animal from the sub-group depending on the determined free capacity C, if the dairy animal still has a feed allowance for milking.