AUTOMATIC MILKING ARRANGEMENT

摘要

An automatic milking arrangement and method in which apparatus is taken to a milking location (M), where an animal to be milked is located, by a freely- movable self-driven device (1) provided with a remote controlled guidance system to move and steer the device automatically. The apparatus comprises milking equipment including one or more teat cups (13), a robot arm (11) for connecting the teat cup(s) to the udder of the animal, and a first coupling arrangement (17) which is automatically engageable with a second coupling arrangement (19) provided at the milking location thereby to connect the apparatus to at least one supply line (20), such as an electricity supply line, a compressed air supply line, a vacuum supply line, a water supply line or a supply line for teat treatment liquid, and/ or to at least one discharge line such as a milk delivery line or a delivery line for waste liquid. The milking equipment and first coupling arrangement may be integrated with the self-driven device or can be incorporated in a milking unit (71) which is demountable from the self-driven device.