Patent ID: 7073458

Claim:
A computer-controlled milking system comprising: a milking stall, which a milking animal visits to be milked automatically, said milking stall including an animal identification arrangement for identifying a milking animal visiting said milking stall; a gate opening/closing arrangement for opening an entry gate to said milking stall to allow a milking animal to enter said milking stall after having been identified, and for opening an exit gate from said milking stall to allow a milking animal to leave said milking stall after having been milked; a milking machine including teat cups connected to a milk collecting vessel, wherein said teat cups, during milking of a milking animal present in said milking stall, are applied to the teats of the milking animal and are connected to a source of vacuum so that milk drawn from the teats of the milking animal is collected in the milk collecting vessel; and a robot provided with a robot arm and a gripper for automatic application of the teat cups to the teats of a milking animal present in said milking stall; and a master computer holding a database of milking animals available to visit said milking stall, said master computer to record points of time, at which each one of the milking animals available to visit said milking stall is milked therein, said master computer being connected to receive an identification of a milking animal visiting said milking stall from said animal identification arrangement, and said master computer to control said gate opening/closing arrangement, said milking machine, and said robot depending on said received identification; wherein said robot includes a slave processor connected to receive information from said master computer, according to which movement of the robot arm of the robot is to be performed, said slave processor to control the robot to move the robot arm of the robot according to said received information.