Robotic milking in dairy farming

Abstract

The role of engineering research in the development of robotic milking systems and the integration of robotic milking in dairy farms are reviewed. The milking stall, robot arm, teat sensing system, milking equipment and udder cleaning devices of commercial automatic milking systems (AMS) available in the Netherlands at the end of 1996 are described. The importance of the attractiveness of the milking stall, lay-out of the barn and the introduction of a cow routing with special gates in the barn is highlighted. Increasing the milking frequency from 2 to 3 times/day results in a higher yield of approximately 1000 kg milk/lactation. It is concluded that automatic milking will decrease the physical and mental load on the farmer, but it should be considered that the farmer is working with complicated equipment.