Robotic Milking Arm With Guide Arms For Standard Clusters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current robotic milking systems face inefficiencies due to the need for multiple robots or extended milking periods, and are not compatible with standard milking clusters, limiting their economic retrofitting to conventional parlors.
Innovation Solution
A robotic milking system with a milking arm that can attach standard milking clusters to multiple animals using a guide device with guide arms, allowing for efficient cup positioning and attachment, compatible with existing milking parlors and clusters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a robotic arm services only a single animal at a time, then the robot can be simpler in design, but the throughput is limited and requires several expensive robots
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm is divided into functional segments: a guide mechanism for positioning and a gripping mechanism for cup attachment. This segmentation allows the arm to service multiple bales sequentially while maintaining simplicity in each functional component.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic arm is designed as a universal device that can service multiple bales of a rotary platform by adjusting the guide arms and gripper positioning, eliminating the need for separate robots for each bale and increasing overall throughput.
2Extent of automation
If milking cups are incorporated within the robot arm, then cup attachment is automated, but the system is not compatible with standard milking clusters and requires custom integration
Solution Approach 1:
A guide mechanism with adjustable guide arms acts as an intermediary between the robotic arm and standard milking clusters. This intermediary component enables the robot to handle standard clusters without requiring custom integration, maintaining both automation and compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide arms are designed to be movable and adjustable, allowing the robotic system to adapt to the positioning of cups on standard milking clusters. This dynamic adjustment capability enables compatibility with standard clusters while maintaining automated operation.
3Extent of automation
If each cup is picked up and attached independently on separate hoses, then cup attachment is automated, but the system cannot economically be retrofitted to conventional milking parlors
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system merges the handling of all four cups into a single automated operation using one robotic arm with a multi-finger gripper. This combines the automation function while maintaining compatibility with standard clusters, enabling economic retrofitting to conventional parlors.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide mechanism automatically positions the cups from the standard cluster onto the robotic gripper without requiring manual intervention or custom cluster design, enabling the system to service itself and maintain compatibility with existing infrastructure.
4Productivity
If a robotic arm handles all cups of a standard cluster simultaneously, then throughput increases and cycle time reduces, but the positioning precision requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide arms preliminarily position the cups from the standard cluster into a predetermined configuration before the gripper attaches them to the robotic arm. This preliminary positioning action ensures precise alignment is achieved before the high-speed attachment phase, enabling both high throughput and precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual positioning with an automated guide mechanism that uses mechanical constraints and geometric alignment to achieve precise cup positioning. This substitution maintains precision while enabling simultaneous handling of all cups for increased throughput.
Data Source
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AI summary
A robotic milking system suitable for use with conventional milking clusters. Clusters are withdrawn to a generally known position upon release from a cow with the cups hanging down below the bowl. The cups are then located in a confined region from where they are picked up by a robotic arm and attached to teats of a cow. The arrangement allows a single robotic arm to service multiple bales of a rotary milking parlour.