Patent ID: 7895972
Filing Date: 2011-03-01
Classification: A01J,B25J

Abstract:
1. A milking system for automatically controlling movement of a robot arm used to attach a teat cup to a teat of a milking animal located in a milking box, the system comprising: a control device configured to control movement of the robot arm and to access a database storing teat position information associated with a plurality of milking animals; a first visual detection device on the robot arm, the first visual detection device configured to repeatedly determine a position of the teat of the milking animal relative to the robot arm; and a second visual detection device configured to be directed towards the milking animal located in the milking box and configured to detect a position of the milking animal in a longitudinal direction in the milking box, wherein after controlling the initial movement of the robot arm to the approximate position, control subsequent movement of the robot arm based on the position determined by the first visual detection device so as to reposition the robot arm until attachment of the teat cup to the teat of the milking animal.