A manufacturing center configured for use with a plurality of tools and a plurality of nests. The manufacturing center includes a base configured for coupling with one of the plurality of nests. The base includes a base electrical connector. The manufacturing center also includes an arm configured for coupling with one of the plurality of tools. The arm has an end movable with respect to the base, and the end includes an arm electrical connector. A controller is operable to control movement of the arm and is in communication with the base electrical connector and the arm electrical connector. The controller is operable to identify which one of the plurality of tools is coupled with the arm and which one of the plurality of nests is coupled with the base at least in part by way of communication with the arm electrical connector and the base electrical connector.

A dummy tool is used to teach a robot the path the robot will follow to perform work on a workpiece to eliminate the possibility of damaging an actual tool during the training. The dummy tool provides the robot programmer an indication of potential collisions between the tool and the workpiece and other objects in the work cell when path is being taught. The dummy tool can have a detachable input/output device with a graphic user interface (GUI) that can communicate wirelessly with the robot controller. The dummy tool can also have a moveable camera attached thereto to track the relationship of the tool to objects in the work area.

A milking box comprises a stall portion having a longitudinal axis. A backplane is positioned in the stall portion and moves toward the rear of the stall portion along the longitudinal axis in response to pressure applied, and toward the front of the stall portion in response to pressure removed. A robotic attacher extends from the rear of the stall portion and between the hind legs of a dairy livestock. A controller determines the position of the backplane relative to the rear of the stall portion and determines a positional offset that increases as the dairy livestock moves toward the front of the stall and decreases as it moves toward the rear of the stall. The controller further communicates a signal to move the robotic attacher along the longitudinal axis. The amount of movement is determined at least in part according to the positional offset.

The present invention relates to a method and a system for manufacturing a board body (10), such as a skateboard, from a blank (20) having an indefinite shape. The blank (20) with the indefinite shape is collected by a handling robot (50). The shape of the blank (20) is scanned in three dimensions by means of a vision system (47) and a virtual image of said blank (20) is stored in a memory and used to calculate a three dimensional cutting path for milling the blank (20) into said board body (10).