• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2009

The authors of this study have developed a robot milking system composed of a multi-articular manipulator, a teat-cup attachment system, and an image processing system. In order to verify the efficacy of this system, we have conducted a performance analysis and measurement experiment of milk yield, using dairy cattle. It was concluded that teat recognition using the image processing system, teat-cup attachment, and detachment system did not binder milking. The milking yield of the robot milking system was analyzed based on a lactation curve. As a result, it was determined that the use of a robot milking system had no significant effects on milking yields. The robot milking system described in this study is designed specifically with a focus on teat-cup attachment and detachment performance, as well as the effect of these factors on milking yield. In the future, in-depth studies regarding the washing of the teats prior to milking, teat massage, pre-treatment and post-treatment processes after milking, and disinfection processes shall be conducted, in order to render this system feasible for use in an actual milking parlor.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.30 no.5 s.112
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• pp.293-298
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was the development of a multi-joint robot manipulator for milking robot system. The multi-joint robot manipulator was controlled by 5 drivers with driver controller through the position information obtained from the image processing system. The robot manipulator to automatically attach each teat cup to the teats of a milking cow was developed and it's motion was accurately measured with error rate. Results were as follows. 1. Maximum errors in position accuracy were 4mm along X-axis, 4.5mm along Y-axis and 0.9mm along Z-axis. Absolute distance errors were maximum 4.8mm, minimum 2.7mm, and average 3.6mm. 2. Errors of repeatability were maximum 3.0mm along X-axis, 3.0mm along Y-axis, and 0.5mm along Z-axis. Distance error values were maximum 3.2mm, minimum 2.2mm, and average 2.5mm. It is envisaged that multi-joint robot manipulator can be applicate to milking robot system being developed in consideration of the experiment results.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• 1993.10a
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• pp.779-790
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• 1993

A prototype of the feeding-milking robot was developed in the Hungarian Institute of Agricultural Engineering in 1988-89. Before starting with the operation tests the cleaning system had to be elaborated . The cleaning system has two parts. Those are the complete cleaning of the system, producing a practically sterile state, as well as flushing through the milking device between milking of two cows. Separate electronic sensor development was necessary for both system which can connect to the control system of the robot. To clean the system pneumatic air input was applied. As an effect of the local adjustment of the electronic control system optimal flow conditions can be formed what is more favourable comparing to the earlier solutions of cleaning due to the mechanical effect. In the flushing through overpressure air is applied. The air and the cleaning liquid input duration can be adjusted to the local conditions. The electronic control unit can be connected to the electric ircuits of robot.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.30 no.3 s.110
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• pp.179-184
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was the development of teat-cup attachment module for robot milking system. The teat-cups attachment module was controlled on the two dimensional space independently, Each teat cup of an end effector was independently controlled via two axis control based on the position information data obtained from the image processing system. This system was developed install of all 4 teat cups at the same time after adjusting positions of each teat sequentially. The individual motion system was operated using two servo motors for the high speed of teat position adjustment. The errors fur the individual motion system of teat cups were maximum 1.0mm, minimum 0.0mm, and average 0.6mm. The operating time for adjusting the teat cups position required about 1.0 second. It is envisaged that teat cups attachment module can be applicate to milking robot being developed in consideration of the experiment results for the teat cups operation accuracy and the actuation speed of servo motors.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.179-186
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was kinematics analysis of the multi-joint robot manipulator for an automatic milking system. The multi-joint robot manipulator was consisted of one perpendicular link and four revolution links to attach simultaneously four teat cups to four teats of a milking cow. The local coordinates of each joints on the robot manipulator was given for kinematics analysis. The transformation of manipulator was able to be given by kinematics using Denavit-Hatenberg parameters. The value of inverse kinematics which was solved by two geometric solution methods. The kinematics solutions was verified by AutoCAD, MATLAB, simulation program was developed using Visual C++.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.51 no.9
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• pp.238-247
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• 2014

The milking robot system is very important to detect correctly the teats position in the moving condition of cow. Also, the robot manipulator must control tracking the teat cup to the detected teat position. The presented milking robot is designed using the one point laser sensor for teat position detection. The teats of cow are detected by the laser scanning unit and the manipulator has the function of 3 axes moving control unit. The presented teat detection method and the electrical driving manipulator have the advantages of a simple, low cost and very quiet. The designed manipulator is realized by the totally electrical motor and servo poison control algorithm with velocity PID compensation. The presented robot is realized using the teat detection unit, 4 teat cups, 3 axes robot arm, 6 servo motors and automatic milking control line. The designed robot is experimented in the cow farm and is satisfied with the designed performance specification for milking robot manipulator.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.49-52
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• 2014

This study was conducted to compare the patterns of mastitic pathogens and the antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus (S.) aureus from conventional milking (CM) and robotic milking (RM) dairy herds. To accomplish this, the minimum inhibitory concentrations of 14 antimicrobial agents were tested against S. aureus by the microdilution method. Regardless of the milking system, S. aureus, coagulase negative staphylococcus, and Streptococcus uberis were isolated. Additionally, significant differences in the antimicrobial susceptibility of S. aureus isolates between RM and CM farms were only observed in response to tetracycline.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.32 no.1 s.120
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• pp.44-49
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• 2007

A stereo vision system was developed for robot milking system (RMS) using two monochromatic cameras. An algorithm for inverse perspective transformation was developed for the 3-D information acquisition of all teats. To verify performance of the algorithm in the stereo vision system, indoor tests were carried out using a test-board and model teats. A real cow and a model cow were used to measure distance errors. The maximum distance errors of test-board, model teats and real teats were 0.5 mm, 4.9 mm and 6 mm, respectively. The average distance errors of model teats and real teats were 2.9 mm and 4.43 mm, respectively. Therefore, it was concluded that this algorithm was sufficient for the RMS to be applied.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.165-170
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• 2002

This study was carried out to measure the 3D-distance of a cow model teat for an application possibility on Robotic Milking System(RMS). A teat recognition algorithm was made to find 3D-distance of the model by using Gonzalrez's theory. Some of the results are as follows. 1 . In the distance measurement experiment on the test board, as the measured length, and the length between the center of image surface and the measured image point became longer, their error values increased. 2. The model teat was installed and measured the error value at the random position. The error value of X and Y coordinates was less than 5㎜, and that of Z coordinates was less than 20㎜. The error value increased as the distance of camera's increased. 3. The equation for distance information acquirement was satisfied with obtaining accurate distance that was necessary for a milking robot to trace teats, A teat recognition algorithm was recognized well four model cow teats. It's processing time was about 1 second. It appeared that a teat recognition algorithm could be used to determine the 3D-distance of the cow teat to develop a RMS.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.302-307
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• 2005