Abstract: In certain embodiments, a system includes a front wall, a rear wall positioned substantially parallel to the front wall, and first and second side walls each extending between the front wall and the rear wall. The first side wall includes a gate, and the second side wall is spaced apart from the first side wall such that the front wall, the rear wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall define a milking box stall of a size sufficient to accommodate a dairy livestock. The system includes an equipment portion located adjacent to the rear wall. The equipment portion houses a robotic attacher configured to extend between the rear legs of a dairy livestock located within the milking box stall in order to attach milking equipment to the dairy livestock.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a system includes a front wall, a rear wall positioned substantially parallel to the front wall, and first and second side walls each extending between the front wall and the rear wall. The first side wall includes a gate, and the second side wall is spaced apart from the first side wall such that the front wall, the rear wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall define a milking box stall of a size sufficient to accommodate a dairy livestock. The system includes an equipment portion located adjacent to the rear wall. The equipment portion houses a robotic attacher configured to extend between the rear legs of a dairy livestock located within the milking box stall in order to attach milking equipment to the dairy livestock.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a milking box comprises a stall portion and a backplane positioned in the stall portion. The backplane moves toward the rear of the stall portion in response to pressure applied to a contact surface of the backplane. The backplane moves toward the front of stall portion in response to pressure removed from the contact surface.

Abstract: In an exemplary embodiment, a system includes a milking cup, a pulsating device coupled to the milking cup, a robotic arm comprising a gripper, and a controller communicatively coupled to the robotic arm and the pulsating device. The controller is operable to instruct the gripper of the robotic arm to grip the milking cup, instruct the robotic arm to move the milking cup proximate to a teat of a dairy livestock, and instruct the robotic arm to move the milking cup towards the teat. The controller is further operable to instruct the pulsating device to apply pressure to the milking cup before attaching the milking cup to the teat and instruct the gripper of the robotic arm to release the milking cup.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a robotic attacher performs a method of attaching and detaching a cup from the teats of a dairy livestock in the sequence of right front teat, left front teat, left rear teat, and right rear teat. The method comprises the steps of determining a reference point and then, for each teat, positioning the cup relative to the reference point, determining a location of the teat, attaching the cup to the teat, and detaching the cup from the teat. In certain alternate embodiments, the sequence of attaching and detaching the cup comprises left front teat, right front teat, right rear teat, and left rear teat.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a system includes a front wall, a rear wall positioned substantially parallel to the front wall, and first and second side walls each extending between the front wall and the rear wall. The first side wall includes a gate, and the second side wall is spaced apart from the first side wall such that the front wall, the rear wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall define a milking box stall of a size sufficient to accommodate a dairy livestock. The system includes an equipment portion located adjacent to the rear wall. The equipment portion houses a robotic attacher configured to extend between the rear legs of a dairy livestock located within the milking box stall in order to attach milking equipment to the dairy livestock.

Abstract: In an exemplary embodiment, a system includes a first camera, a second camera, and a processor wherein the second camera has a higher resolution than the first camera. The processor is communicatively coupled to the first camera and the second camera and is operable to determine a center coordinate of an udder of a dairy livestock based at least in part upon visual data captured by the first camera. The processor is also operable to determine a position of a teat of the dairy livestock based at least in part upon the center coordinate and visual data captured by the second camera.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a robotic attacher retrieves cups from the right side of an equipment area located behind a dairy livestock and attaches the cups to the teats of the dairy livestock in sequence. The sequence comprises attaching a first cup to the right front teat, a second cup to the left front teat, a third cup to the right rear teat, and a fourth cup to the left rear teat. In certain alternative embodiments, the robotic attacher retrieves cups from the left side of the equipment area, and the sequence comprises attaching a first cup to the left front teat, a second cup to the right front teat, a third cup to the left rear teat, and a fourth cup to the right rear teat.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, robotic attacher comprises a supplemental arm comprising a fixed portion and a gripping portion. The fixed portion comprises a pivot assembly and a rotating assembly. The pivot assembly pivots the gripping portion between maximum-left, maximum-right, and centered positions. The rotating assembly rotates the gripping portion between upright and upside down positions. The gripping portion comprises a gripper comprising claw arms operable to open and close.

Abstract: A system for applying disinfectant to the teats of a dairy livestock includes a carriage mounted on a track, the carriage operable to translate laterally along the track. The system further includes a robotic arm including a first member pivotally attached to the carriage, a second member pivotally attached to the first member and a spray tool member pivotally attached to the second member. The robotic arm further includes a spray tool attached to the spray tool member. The system further includes a controller operable to cause at least a portion of the robotic arm to extend between the hind legs of a dairy livestock such that the spray tool may discharge a disinfectant to the teats of the dairy livestock.

Abstract: A system for applying disinfectant to the teats of a dairy livestock includes a carriage mounted on a track, the carriage operable to translate laterally along the track. The system further includes a robotic arm including a first member pivotally attached to the carriage, a second member pivotally attached to the first member and a spray tool member pivotally attached to the second member. The robotic arm further includes a spray tool attached to the spray tool member. The system further includes a controller operable to cause at least a portion of the robotic arm to extend between the hind legs of a dairy livestock such that the spray tool may discharge a disinfectant to the teats of the dairy livestock.

Abstract: A system for applying disinfectant to the teats of a dairy livestock includes a carriage mounted on a track, the carriage operable to translate laterally along the track. The system further includes a robotic arm including a first member pivotally attached to the carriage, a second member pivotally attached to the first member and a spray tool member pivotally attached to the second member. The robotic arm further includes a spray tool attached to the spray tool member. The system further includes a controller operable to cause at least a portion of the robotic arm to extend between the hind legs of a dairy livestock such that the spray tool may discharge a disinfectant to the teats of the dairy livestock.

Abstract: A system for applying disinfectant to the teats of a dairy livestock includes a carriage mounted on a track, the carriage operable to translate laterally along the track. The system further includes a robotic arm including a first member pivotally attached to the carriage, a second member pivotally attached to the first member, and a spray tool member pivotally attached to the second member. The robotic arm further includes a spray tool attached to the spray tool member. The system further includes a controller operable to cause at least a portion of the robotic arm to extend between the hind legs of a dairy livestock such that the spray tool may discharge a disinfectant to the teats of the dairy livestock.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a system includes a first robotic device operable to prepare the teats of a first dairy livestock located in a first milking stall of a rotary milking platform. The system also includes a second robotic device operable to attach a first milking device to the teats of a second dairy livestock located in a second milking stall of the rotary milking platform. The system also includes a third robotic device operable to attach a second milking device to the teats of a third dairy livestock located in a third milking stall of the rotary milking platform. The system also includes a fourth robotic device operable to apply a sanitizing agent to the teats of a fourth dairy livestock located in a fourth milking stall of the rotary milking platform subsequent to a removal of a third milking device from the teats of the fourth dairy livestock.

Abstract: A system includes a carriage track positioned adjacent to a rotary milking platform, a robot carriage mounted to the carriage track, and a controller. The controller is operable to receive both a first rotary encoder signal indicating a first rotational position of a milking stall of the rotary milking platform (corresponding to a starting linear position of the robot carriage) and a second rotary encoder signal indicating a second rotational position of the milking stall. The controller is further operable to determine, based on a difference between the first and second signals, a desired linear position of the robot carriage on the carriage track (a position corresponding to the second rotational position of the milking stall). The controller is further operable to communicate a position signal to a carriage actuator, the position signal causing the carriage actuator to move the robot carriage to the desired linear position.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a system includes a controller operable to access an image signal generated by a camera. The accessed image signal corresponds to one or more features of the rear of a dairy livestock. The controller is further operable to determine positions of each of the hind legs of the dairy livestock based on the accessed image signal. The controller is further operable to determine a position of an udder of the dairy livestock based on the accessed image signal and the determined positions of the hind legs of the dairy livestock. The controller is further operable to determine, based on the image signal and the determined position of the udder of the dairy livestock, a spray position from which a spray tool may apply disinfectant to the teats of the dairy livestock.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a system includes a controller operable to access an image signal generated by a camera. The accessed image signal corresponds to one or more features of the rear of a dairy livestock. The controller is further operable to determine positions of each of the hind legs of the dairy livestock based on the accessed image signal. The controller is further operable to determine a position of an udder of the dairy livestock based on the accessed image signal and the determined positions of the hind legs of the dairy livestock. The controller is further operable to determine, based on the image signal and the determined position of the udder of the dairy livestock, a spray position from which a spray tool may apply disinfectant to the teats of the dairy livestock.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a system includes a three-dimensional camera and a processor communicatively coupled to the three-dimensional camera. The processor is operable to determine a first hind location of a first hind leg of a dairy livestock based at least in part on visual data captured by the three-dimensional camera and determine a second hind location of a second hind leg of the dairy livestock based at least in part on the visual data. The processor is further operable to determine a measurement, wherein the measurement is the distance between the first hind location and the second hind location. Additionally, the processor is operable to determine whether the measurement exceeds a minimum threshold.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a system includes a robotic arm. The robotic arm is operable to extend between the legs of a dairy livestock located in a milking stall of a rotary milking platform. The system also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the robotic arm. The controller is operable to determine whether a milking claw is attached to the teats of the dairy livestock. The controller is also operable to control the robotic arm to extend between the legs of the dairy livestock based at least in part on whether the milking claw is attached.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a system for applying disinfectant to the teats of a dairy livestock includes a carriage mounted on a track, the carriage operable to translate laterally along the track. The system further includes a robotic arm including a first member pivotally attached to the carriage such that the first member may rotate about a point of attachment to the carriage, a second member pivotally attached to the first member such that the second member may rotate about a point of attachment to the first member, and a spray tool member pivotally attached to the second member such that the spray tool member may rotate about a point of attachment to the second member. The robotic arm further includes a spray tool attached to the spray tool member.