A system for milking a group of animals, in particular cows, comprises an accommodation space for the animals, and several fixed milking stations. The milking stations each comprise an opening for entry of the animal from the accommodation space. The system comprises an automatic milking system for automatic milking of animals in the milking stations. The milking system is configured to automatically milk the animal based on the milking animal fulfilling a predefined milking criterion. The system comprises no expulsion means and/or attraction means which can be activated by a control unit to give stimulus for the animal to leave said milking station. The system is also configured to allow animals to enter the milking stations irrespective of whether said animals fulfil the milking criterion.

A vision system that includes a robotic arm and a three-dimensional (3D) camera operably coupled to a processor. The processor is configured to acquire a 3D image and identify a teat of the dairy livestock within the 3D image. The processor is further configured to determine a distance between a portion of a robotic arm and an approach vector for the teat, to compare the distance between the portion of the robotic arm and the approach vector for the teat and the attachment range threshold value, and to send instructions to the robotic arm based on the comparison.

A robot milking device for fully automatic milking includes milking means with a plurality of teat cups, a robot arm for moving the teat cups and connecting these to the teats, and provided with one teat cup holder for each teat cup, for removably placing the teat cup thereon in a rest state, a teat position determination device for determining teat positions, and a control device for the robot milking device and for moving the robot arm on the basis of the determined teat positions. The control device is configured to move the robot arm into a rest position during milking and to detect a cup separation signal which indicates that no teat cup is attached to at least one front teat. The control device is furthermore configured to adapt the rest position as a function of the cup separation signal.

A method for milking a dairy animal by means of a robotic milking device containing milking cups, a teat position-determining device, a robot arm in a rest position that carries all milking cups and attaches these to the teats, and a control unit. The dairy animal is milked at an intended milking frequency. The method involves determining if the distance between two teats of the dairy animal is greater than a first threshold distance by means of the teat position-determining device. If the distance is at most equal to the first threshold distance, a usual attachment and milking step is performed. If the distance is greater than the first threshold distance, a modified milking step is performed. A corresponding device is also provided. Milking of the second teat only takes place when the udder has already shrunk, and the teats are closer together as a result.

A milking robot for the fully automatic milking of dairy animals includes at least one moving component and a cylinder configured to support a movement of the component. The cylinder has a cylinder wall having an aeration opening, as well as a cylinder rod slidable into and out of the cylinder. The cylinder wall surrounds at least one variable volume part, which volume part is free from pressure fluid connections for displacement of the cylinder rod. The cylinder is configured to remain, via the opening, substantially in pressure equilibrium with an environment of the cylinder. To the cylinder wall around the aeration opening is connected a gas collecting device which has a changeable volume and which, together with the variable volume part, forms an airtight gas volume. In addition, the gas collecting device has a minimum volume greater than zero.

The invention relates to a method for milking a milk-producing animal, in particular a cow. According to this method, a target milk quantity which is lower than a possible expected milk quantity is determined. The milking process is carried out. During milking, the milked quantity is determined. The milked quantity is compared with the target milk quantity. Milking is terminated when the milked quantity corresponds substantially to the target milk quantity.

The invention relates to a method for milking a milk-producing animal, in particular a cow. According to this method, a target milk quantity which is lower than a possible expected milk quantity is determined. The milking process is carried out. During milking, the milked quantity is determined. The milked quantity is compared with the target milk quantity. Milking is terminated when the milked quantity corresponds substantially to the target milk quantity.

A device suitable for attachment to a milking platform at a milking position has a strippings viewing area and a light source, which is operable to illuminate in a suitable manner the strippings viewing area to enhance the visibility to an operator of any mastitis symptoms in use and/or to illuminate the udder to facilitate inspection or treatment. The light source may also be operable to give continuous or intermittent colour signals to the operator and the device might also include an alpha-numeric area. The device might form part of a leg separator and/or sprayer and/or milk hose support. A milking platform with such a device is also claimed.

A milking robot system for milking of a dairy animal with teats includes milking cups, a robot arm for attaching the milking cups to the teats, a teat detector configured to detect the position of the teats, and a compressed air system for providing dry compressed air to at least part of the milking robot system. The teat detector comprises a housing containing an optical sensor. The compressed air system is operatively connectable with the inside of the housing via an air line in order to at least partly replace air which is present in the housing by an amount of dry air from the compressed air system. This replacement operation may be performed directly, under pressure, or by first extracting air by means of an additional system and then replenishing it with dry air from the compressed air system.

An automatic milking machine controlled by a control unit that, in response to a control request from a first remote user terminal that indicates an intention to initiate transmission of control commands and/or parameter settings, checks whether at least one control command and/or parameter setting from a second remote user terminal has been received within a particular interval preceding a point in time when the control request was received, and if so, returns status data to the first remote user terminal that indicate an identity of the second remote user terminal so that, based thereon, an operator of the first remote user terminal can decide whether or not to remote control the milking machine at the present point in time.