AUTOMATIC MILKING ARRANGEMENT

摘要

An automatic milking arrangement and method in which a number of different milking equipment modules are provided and are each selectable to be taken to a milking location, where an animal to be milked is located, by a freely-moveable self-driven device (1) having a remote controlled guidance system to move and steer the device automatically. Processing means are provided for selecting the milking equipment module to be taken to the milking location based on data relating to the particular to be milked stored in a database, the selected milking equipment module having at least one element with a characteristic parameter, such as a milk receiver (15) with a certain capacity or a teat cup (13) with a teat cup liner of a certain shape or size, that is different to the characteristic parameter(s) of the corresponding element(s) of other different milking equipment modules. The processing means can be arranged to establish an order of preference for use of the different milking equipment modules in milking the particular animal and to select the module highest in the order that is available to be taken to the milking location. The milking equipment modules can be integrated with respective self-driven devices (1) of may comprise a milking unit (71) demountable from the self-driven device at the milking location.