A control unit that controls an automatic milking machine to operate in accordance with control commands and/or parameter settings received from either of a local user interface fixedly arranged at the milking machine or a remote terminal, where the control unit, in response to receiving a lock command from one of the local user interface or the remote terminal, causes the automatic milking machine to operate in a single-control mode in which it operates exclusively to commands and/or parameter settings received from the one of the local user interface or the remote terminal that generated the lock command, in order to ensure predictable and safer operation of the milking machine particularly in view of personnel located in proximity of the milking machine.

A robotic attacher retrieves a preparation cup from an equipment area located behind a dairy livestock and attaches and detaches the preparation cup to the teats of the dairy livestock in sequence. The sequence comprises attaching and detaching the preparation cup to the left front teat, the right front teat, the right rear teat, and the left rear teat.

Disclosed herein is a computing device that includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores processor executable for a robotic process engine. The robotic process engine accesses a distributed packaged robotic process to procure code and generate a local robotic process. The code includes parameters, while local robotic process includes input fields in accordance with the parameters. The robotic process engine receives input arguments via the input fields of the local robotic process to generate a configuration and executes the local robotic process utilizing the configuration. The execution of the local robotic process mirrors an execution of the distributed packaged robotic process without changing the distributed packaged robotic process.

In a control apparatus that controls communication of a telexistence system including a slave robot and an operating device, a state acquisition part repeatedly acquires status reports respectively from the operating device, the slave robot, and a plurality of virtual routers that connect the operating device and the slave robot while communication between the operating device and the slave robot is established. A path determination part determines a communication path for transmitting a control instruction for controlling the motion of the slave robot to the slave robot on the basis of the acquired status reports when the state acquisition part acquires the status reports. An instruction transmitting part transmits an instruction for forming the communication path determined by the path determination part to each of the plurality of virtual routers.

Disclosed herein is a computing device that includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores processor executable for a robotic process engine. The robotic process engine accesses a distributed packaged robotic process to procure code and generate a local robotic process. The code includes parameters, while local robotic process includes input fields in accordance with the parameters. The robotic process engine receives input arguments via the input fields of the local robotic process to generate a configuration and executes the local robotic process utilizing the configuration. The execution of the local robotic process mirrors an execution of the distributed packaged robotic process without changing the distributed packaged robotic process.

Disclosed herein is a computing device that includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores processor executable for a robotic process engine. The robotic process engine accesses a distributed packaged robotic process to procure code and generate a local robotic process. The code includes parameters, while local robotic process includes input fields in accordance with the parameters. The robotic process engine receives input arguments via the input fields of the local robotic process to generate a configuration and executes the local robotic process utilizing the configuration. The execution of the local robotic process mirrors an execution of the distributed packaged robotic process without changing the distributed packaged robotic process.

A control unit that controls an automatic milking machine to operate in accordance with control commands and/or parameter settings received from either of a local user interface fixedly arranged at the milking machine or a remote terminal, where the control unit, in response to receiving a lock command from one of the local user interface or the remote terminal, causes the automatic milking machine to operate in a single-control mode in which it operates exclusively to commands and/or parameter settings received from the one of the local user interface or the remote terminal that generated the lock command, in order to ensure predictable and safer operation of the milking machine particularly in view of personnel located in proximity of the milking machine.

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.

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 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.