Rotating Support Platform for Synchronized Milking Robot Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing animal treating arrangements with milking robots positioned beside a rotary platform face difficulties in synchronizing the robot's movements with the platform's rotation, leading to inefficiencies in teatcup attachment and treatment processes.
Innovation Solution
A carrying device with a sensor and control unit that adjusts the support platform's movement to match the rotary milking platform's velocity, allowing the milking robot to operate as if stationary relative to the animal, with drive members ensuring consistent angular velocity and orientation, enabling precise and constant distance maintenance during teatcup attachment and treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If the milking robot is positioned beside the rotary platform and controlled to attach teatcups to animals on the rotating platform, then the treatment process can be automated, but the robot must synchronize its movements with the platform's rotation which increases control complexity
Solution Approach 1:
A support platform is introduced as an intermediary between the stationary milking robot and the rotating animal platform. The support platform rotates independently at the same angular velocity as the animal platform, allowing the robot to maintain a stationary position relative to the animal while both rotate together. This mediator simplifies the control system by converting the complex synchronized control problem into a simpler independent rotation control problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The support platform is designed with dynamic rotation capability, allowing it to rotate at the same angular velocity as the animal platform. This dynamic adjustment enables the robot to maintain optimal positioning relative to the animal throughout the rotation cycle, transforming the static robot into a dynamically positioned unit that adapts to the rotating frame of reference.
2Productivity
If the milking robot moves along the rail at the same velocity as the rotary platform rotation, then teatcup attachment can be maintained, but precise synchronization becomes difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The support platform acts as a mediator that rotates independently at the same angular velocity as the animal platform. This independent rotation capability allows the robot to maintain a stationary position relative to the animal without requiring precise velocity synchronization between the robot's linear movement along the rail and the platform's rotation. The support platform absorbs the rotational motion, simplifying the synchronization requirement.
3Productivity
If multiple milking robots are provided on the platform rotating with it, then treatment of multiple animals can be performed simultaneously, but one robot is needed for each milking place increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The support platform is designed as a universal rotating support structure that can accommodate multiple milking robots. Each robot uses the same support platform mechanism, allowing a single design to serve multiple functions and positions. This standardized universal platform reduces the overall complexity compared to having separate dedicated structures for each robot position.
Solution Approach 2:
The support platform provides dynamic rotation capability that allows robots to be positioned at different locations around the rotating animal platform. By using the same dynamic support mechanism at each position, the system can deploy multiple robots without proportionally increasing complexity, as each robot shares the common rotational infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
An animal treating arrangement includes a carrying device beside a milking platform rotating with a velocity and having animal places housing animals. The carrying device includes a fundament, a first bearing device (12) provided on the fundament, an arm (13) connected to the first bearing device permitting the arm to rotate in relation to the fundament around a first axis, a support platform (15) connected to the arm (13). A drive arrangement moves the support platform and includes a first drive member (31) rotating the arm around the first axis. A sensor (37) communicates with a control unit (36) and senses an instantaneous value of the velocity. The control unit controls the first drive member to move the support platform to follow the milking platform from a start position to an end position during a part of the rotation of the milking platform.