Technologies Holdings Corporation

Peter Willem Van Der Sluis

Henk Hofman

Cor De Ruijter

Menno Koekoek

Ype Groensma

Mark Alan Foresman

Joel Henry

Bruce Schroeder

Adam R Hachey

Rizwan Ajaz

Hendrik Hofman

Robert Godfrey

Michael A Mills

Alireza Janani

Robert J Godfrey

Bradley J Prevost

Marijn Van Anart

Marijn Van Aart

Gary C Steingraber

Raymond Roger Berghuis

Kent B Toepfer

Brad A Schaller

Hendrick Hofman

A leg () detection system comprising: a robotic arm () comprising a gripping portion () for holding a teat cup () for attaching to a teat (S, 203) of a dairy livestock (); an imaging system coupled to the robotic arm () and configured to capture a first three-dimensional (3D) image () of a rearview of the dairy livestock () in a stall (), the imaging system comprising a 3D camera () or a laser (), wherein each pixel of the first 3D image () is associated with a depth value; one or more memory () devices configured to store a reference (3D) 3D image () of the stall () without any dairy livestock (); and a processor () communicatively coupled to the imaging system and the one or more memory () devices, the processor () configured to: access the first 3D image () and the reference (3D) 3D image (); subtract the first 3D image () from the reference (3D) 3D image () to produce a second 3D image (); perform morphological image () processing on the second 3D image () to produce a third 3D image (); perform image () thresholding on the third 3D image () to produce a fourth 3D image (); cluster () data from the fourth 3D image (); identify, using the clustered data from the fourth 3D image (), one or more legs () of the dairy livestock (); and provide instructions for movements of the robotic arm () to avoid the identified one or more legs () while attaching the teat cup () to the teat (S,) of the dairy livestock ().

Vision system for leg detection

A robotic arm that extends in a longitudinal direction includes a pivot assembly that pivots a gripping portion around an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the robotic arm, in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the robotic arm, and between at least a maximum-left position, a maximum-right position, and a centered position. The pivot assembly includes a first actuator that extends and retracts a first cable coupled to a left side of the gripping portion in order to pivot the gripping portion. The pivot assembly further includes a second actuator that extends and retracts a second cable coupled to a right side of the gripping portion in order to pivot the gripping portion.

Milking box with robotic attacher comprising an arm that pivots, rotates, and grips

An apparatus includes a platform, controller, and first and second extension members, brush tool members, and brush tools. The platform has a length orthogonal to and greater than its width. The first and second extension members are movably coupled to the platform and their longitudinal axes are parallel to the length of the platform. The first and second brush tool members are coupled to and extend along the longitudinal axes of the first and second extension members respectively. The first and second brush tools are coupled to and extend along the longitudinal axes of the first and second brush tool members respectively. The controller moves the first extension member towards the front end of the platform, retracts the first extension member towards the back end of the platform, and at a second time after the first time, moves the second extension member towards the front end of the platform.

Robotic arm with double brush tool

A system includes a platform, an extension member, a spray tool member, and a spray tool. The platform is coupled to and positioned above the carriage. The platform has a length greater than and orthogonal to its width. The extension member is coupled to the platform and its longitudinal axis is parallel to the platform's length. The spray tool member's back end is coupled to the extension member's front end. The spray tool is coupled to the spray tool member's front end and includes a first nozzle oriented in a first direction, a second nozzle oriented in the first direction and positioned in line with the first nozzle, a third nozzle oriented in a second direction and positioned between and offset from the first and second nozzles, and a fourth nozzle oriented in a third direction and positioned between and offset from the first and second nozzles.

Robotic arm with spray tool

An apparatus includes a carriage, platform, extension member, brush tool member, brush tool, and controller. The carriage is coupled to and moves along a track. The platform has a length orthogonal to and greater than its width and transverse to the lateral direction when in an operational state. The platform pivots such that its front and back ends move vertically in opposite directions. The extension member is movably coupled to the platform and its longitudinal axis is parallel to the platform's length. The back end of the brush tool member is coupled to the front end of the extension member. The brush tool is coupled to the front end of the brush tool member. The controller configured moves the extension member towards the front end of the platform such that a portion of the brush tool extends beyond the front end of the platform.

Robotic arm with brush tool

An apparatus includes a carriage, a foundation, a pivot coupler, a platform, a coupler, a linear actuator, an extension member, a spray tool member, and a controller. The carriage moves along the track. The foundation is coupled to the carriage. The pivot coupler is coupled to the foundation. The coupler is coupled to the platform. The coupler couples the platform to the pivot coupler. The extension member is coupled to the linear actuator. The spray tool member is coupled to the extension member. The controller is configured to cause the carriage to move along the track, the platform to pivot, and the extension member to move in the lengthwise direction to position a spray tool coupled to the spray tool member at a spray position from which the spray tool may discharge a solution to a teat of a dairy livestock.

Robotic arm

An apparatus includes a carriage, a platform, an extension member, and a spray tool member. The carriage moves along the track in a lateral direction. The platform is coupled to and positioned above the carriage. The length of the platform is greater than and orthogonal to the width of the platform and transverse to the lateral direction when in an operational state. The platform pivots about a fulcrum positioned between the platform and the carriage such that the front end and the back end of the platform move vertically in opposite directions. The extension member is movably coupled to the platform and has a longitudinal axis parallel to the length of the platform. The extension member extends away from the carriage in a first mode and retracts towards the carriage in a second mode. The spray tool member is coupled to the front end of the extension member.

Robotic arm with improved motion

An apparatus comprises a cup holder bracket and a cup holder. The cup holder bracket comprises a hinge that allows the cup holder bracket to pivot between a substantially horizontal position when closed to a substantially vertical position when opened. The cup holder is coupled to the cup holder bracket and comprises a rimmed structure configured to hold an attachment end of a cup when the cup holder bracket is closed.

Milking box with storage area for teat cups

A system for operating a robotic arm, comprises a controller and a robotic arm. The controller accesses an image of the rear of dairy livestock located in a stall of a rotary milking platform and, in conjunction with the stall of the rotary milking platform in which a dairy livestock is located moving into an area adjacent a robotic arm, determines whether a milking cluster is attached to the dairy livestock based at least in part upon the image. The robotic arm is communicatively coupled to the controller and extends between the legs of the dairy livestock if the controller determines that the milking cluster is not attached to the dairy livestock. The robotic arm does not extend between the legs of the dairy livestock if the controller determines that the milking cluster is attached to the dairy livestock.

Automated system for applying disinfectant to the teats of dairy livestock

A method for applying disinfectant to the teats of a dairy livestock includes determining that a stall of a rotary milking platform housing a dairy livestock is located adjacent to a track that has a carriage carrying a robotic arm. The method continues by communicating a first signal that causes operation of a first actuator such that the carriage moves along the track in relation to the rotary milking platform and independent of any physical coupling between the carriage and the rotary milking platform and in a direction corresponding to a direction of rotation of the rotary milking platform. The method concludes by communicating one or more additional signals that causes operation of one or more actuators of the robotic arm such that at least a portion of the robotic arm extends between the hind legs of a dairy livestock.

A system includes a robotic arm, a laser, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine whether a distance between a left and right teat of a dairy livestock is less than or equal to a predetermined distance, and if so, command the robotic arm to move to a scan location that is between the left and right teats. The processor is further configured to command the laser to perform a scan of the teats after the robotic arm is at the scan location and to determine whether the left and right teats are found in the scan. If both the left and right teats are found in the scan, the processor commands the robotic arm to attach a teat cup to either the left or right teat.

Vision system for teat detection

A system includes a robotic arm, a laser, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine whether a first teat of a diary livestock is found in a first scan of the dairy livestock by the laser, and if so, command the robotic arm to move to a location corresponding to the location of the first teat. The processor is further configured to increment a counter associated with the first teat and then determine whether the counter equals a predetermined number. If the counter equals the predetermined number, the processor commands the robotic arm to attach a teat cup to the first teat. If the counter does not equal the predetermined number, the processor determines whether the first teat is found in a second scan by the laser. If the first teat is found in the second scan, the processor commands the robotic arm to attach the teat cup to the first teat.

A method for applying disinfectant to the teats of a dairy livestock comprises moving a robotic arm along a track in relation to a rotary milking platform housing a dairy livestock and independent of any physical coupling between the robotic arm and the rotary milking platform. The rotary milking platform has a substantially circular perimeter. The track is positioned outside the perimeter of the rotary milking platform. At least a portion of the track is straight and offset in relation to the rotary milking platform. The robotic arm comprises an arm member operable to pivot about an axis that is parallel to the track, and a spray tool attached to one end of the arm member. The method further comprises extending the robotic arm between the hind legs of the dairy livestock while the rotary milking platform rotates such that the spray tool is located at a spray position from which it may discharge disinfectant to the teats of the dairy livestock.

A method includes positioning a robotic attacher under a dairy livestock located in a milking stall, wherein the robotic attacher comprises a nozzle. The method continues by rotating the robotic attacher such that the nozzle is positioned generally on the top of the robotic attacher and performing a spraying operation using the nozzle. The method concludes by retracting the robotic attacher from under the dairy livestock.

Milking box with robotic attacher

A system includes a robotic arm, a laser, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine that a teat cup is to be attached to a front teat of a dairy livestock, and in response, determine an amount of separation between the front teat and a rear teat. The processor is further configured to calculate, if the amount of separation between the front and rear teats is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance, an updated front teat position based on the amount of separation between the front and rear teats and command the robotic arm to move to the updated front teat position. The processor is further configure to determine whether the front teat is found in a scan of the dairy livestock by the laser, and if so, command the robotic arm to attach the teat cup to the front teat.

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IJsselmuiden, Netherlands

Peter Willem Van Der Sluis