An animal farm system in a includes a barn, animal related structures within the barn, such as a feeding alley and/or a milking system, and an autonomous vehicle arranged to perform an animal related action and move about in the barn. The vehicle includes a control unit to move the vehicle about, a position determining system for determining a position of the vehicle in the barn, a sensor system to determine a value of a parameter related to a position of the vehicle with respect to the barn or an object therein, such as the at least one structure therein, and a vehicle communication device. The control unit further is arranged to contain barn map information, and receive motion control and navigation information via the vehicle communication device. The animal farm system further includes an external communication device to exchange information with the vehicle communication device, wherein the control unit is arranged to send determined vehicle positions and determined parameter values to the external communication device, that is arranged to visualise the received vehicle positions and determined parameter values in dependence of the momentary determined position of the vehicle, and for inputting by a user of barn map information on the basis of the visualised position and/or parameter values, and to send the inputted barn map information to the control unit. A corresponding method includes moving the vehicle, receiving vehicle positions and vehicle position dependent parameter values, and drawing a barn map based thereon.

A poultry barn robot for robotically preforming various poultry barn operation tasks that includes a chassis, a collection platform pivotally mounted to the chassis, and an conveyor connected to the chassis, wherein the conveyor includes conveyor system for conveying at least one of dead birds and manure cakes from a bedded floor of a poultry barn to the collection platform. The robot additionally includes at least one equipment cabinet mounted to the chassis, and at least one controller that is structured and operable to control: movement of the robot through the poultry barn; movement of the conveyor system; and movement of the collection platform between a Collection position and a Disposal position.

A manure collecting vehicle includes: a manure collector having a manure collection port and at least one powered rotational manure conveyer to convey manure to the manure collection port as the vehicle drives through the manure; a manure holding tank in manure communication with the manure collection port, collected manure passing through the manure collection port into the manure holding tank as the vehicle drives through the manure; and, an air system to create an air pressure differential between inside the manure holding tank and outside the manure holding tank when the vehicle is driving through the manure to be collected so that the collected manure passes from the manure collection port into the manure holding tank under influence of the air differential.

An autonomous vehicle includes a frame with a motor, a bumper connected to the frame via a connecting device, and a sensor detecting displacement of the bumper upon a collision. The sensor is connected with a propulsion system that interrupts displacing the vehicle upon detecting a displacement. The connecting device includes a ring, a first ball part, a second ball part, a shaft, and a spring. The ring is fixedly connected to the frame, and the first and second ball part rotatably tilt in the ring. The shaft extends through the ring and the first ball part, and through and beyond the second ball part to a second end, at which the shaft is connected to the bumper by a joint. At least one ball part is displaceable along the shaft. The spring extends around the shaft between the second ball part and a spring connector, and pretensionedly presses the first and second ball parts against the ring. Upon a collision with an obstacle, the bumpers shifts, and the shaft tilts with respect to the frame. This tilting pushes the two ball parts away from each other. The spring also tilts, as a whole, preventing plastic deformation. The spring now exerts a larger spring force on the ball parts, and, after taking away the obstacle, will move back and realign. This will also realign the sensor, ensuring a longer effective lifetime of the sensor and thus of the safety of the vehicle.

A stall vacuum trailer system to secure to a vehicle, the system includes a trailer supported by a frame and having a cargo compartment to receive particles therein; a vacuum machine supported by the frame, the vacuum machine having a motor; a fan device to mulch a substrate into the particles; and a hose extending from the fan and to extend to a rear of the cargo compartment; the fan device creates a vacuum effect to pull the substrate through the hose and further through the fan device and into the cargo compartment; the substrate is mulched into particles while entering the cargo compartment.

A guide frame extends along an aligned row of multilevel cages and mounting scrapers fit within a floor space between cage supports in a debris removal system in a poultry barn to be guided during advancing and retracting of the guide frames by pulling cables attached to each ends of the guide frames. Spaced pivoted scrapers are mounted extending between the sides of the guide frame which scrapers are positioned vertically when the guide frame is advanced to push debris forwardly along the floor areas between the cage supports but swing up when the guide frame is pulled back to move over collected debris. The debris is moved step by step along the guide frame by reciprocation of the scrapers mounted on the guide frame past the end of the row of cages and into a debris receiving discharge. The system may also include a guide frame with pivoted scraper blades fit to the width of a walkway between rows of cages which is also pulled in an advancing and retracting direction along the walkway floor synchronously with the cage guide frame but in a reverse direction to push debris forwardly step by step along the surface of both the floor under the row of cages and the walkway.

A control arrangement, method, and computer program for obtaining, from a real-time location system, positions of individual animals and of individual mobile agricultural devices located in a livestock area, and automatically controlling one or more of the mobile agricultural devices based on the obtained positions of the mobile agricultural devices and the individual animals so that the mobile agricultural devices are operated optimally and safely of the animals.

A multi-roller guide that includes a base plate, a cover plate, a plurality of spacers positioned perpendicularly between the base plate and cover plate, a plurality of spacer fasteners coupled to the spacers, and a plurality of roller assemblies secured between the base plate and cover plate and aligned along a roller assembly arc path. Each roller assembly includes a roller coupled to a roller bearing, with the roller bearing having a bearing center passage that receives therein an axle, and wherein the plurality of roller assemblies are secured between the cover plate and base plate via the axle, and wherein each roller is spool shaped including a core portion connecting upper and lower boundary walls, the upper and lower boundary walls extending radially outward from the core portion and including a space therebetween for receiving a portion of a tensile member.

A mobile education robot for a poultry farm having at least one laying area. The robot is configured to move the robot on the ground, prompt movement of at least two different types in order to push the birds present on the ground towards the at least one laying area, and to control the movement prompting. The robot includes mechanical elements for levelling and aerating the ground.

A system for removing manure from a floor in a barn, such as cows, includes an autonomous manure removing vehicle provided with a drive system for driving the manure removing vehicle. The drive system includes at least one electrical drive motor. An electronic control system is connected to the drive system for controlling the latter. A battery system for storing electrical energy is connected to the drive system and the control system. The manure removing vehicle includes a manure bounding device with a manure slider for moving manure over the floor while the manure removing vehicle travels across the floor. The manure bounding device is configured to at least partially bound the manure present on the floor in front of the manure slider. The system includes a charging station for charging the battery system of the manure removing vehicle when the manure removing vehicle is in the charging station in a charging position. The charging station includes a manure blocking device which, together with the manure bounding device, is configured to define, in the charging position of the manure removing vehicle, a holding space substantially closed off for manure.