CA2974519A1 - Sand transportation robot system - Google Patents

Sand transportation robot system Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2974519A1
CA2974519A1 CA2974519A CA2974519A CA2974519A1 CA 2974519 A1 CA2974519 A1 CA 2974519A1 CA 2974519 A CA2974519 A CA 2974519A CA 2974519 A CA2974519 A CA 2974519A CA 2974519 A1 CA2974519 A1 CA 2974519A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
sand
ability
robot
stall
stalls
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA2974519A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
John M. Moses
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to CA2974519A priority Critical patent/CA2974519A1/en
Publication of CA2974519A1 publication Critical patent/CA2974519A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25JMANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
    • B25J5/00Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages
    • B25J5/007Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages mounted on wheels
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25JMANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
    • B25J5/00Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages
    • B25J5/005Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages mounted on endless tracks or belts
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65GTRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G67/00Loading or unloading vehicles
    • B65G67/02Loading or unloading land vehicles
    • B65G67/04Loading land vehicles
    • B65G67/06Feeding articles or materials from bunkers or tunnels

Abstract

The invention allows sand to be transported to and from stalls on a timed or by need basis to maximize the efficiency of sand transportation in barns. The robot will go to the stall that it has been commanded to and prompt the cow to get out before the robot can do any further work. Either electricity, pressurized air or a moving robotic arm will be utilized to prompt the cow. The robot will always have sand reserve ready. The gates the robot passes through will be locked through magnets, a simple mechanical mechanism or through a similar technology. The robot can read its location through a RFID chip tagging system and/or GPS location. This wireless system can work independently or work alongside other systems. This system utilizes various means to transport the sand including robotic arms, conveyor belts, augers and movable buckets on tracks or wheels with controlled shoots.

Description

Detailed Description Of The Invention This delivery system will consist of a track or wheeled system that will move the robot around from stall to stall. The type of transportation system will vary between the needs of individual barns. Examples of the bases that will be available can be seen in figure 2 (page 7) in the drawings section.
The barn will be outfitted with a sand reserve that should always be filled with at least a one day supply or 200 lbs. for 3 stalls. This should provide enough sand to keep the stalls full and prevent the robot running out. The sand pile should be monitored occasionally by a human, but there will be the option for the sand pile to be measured for both volume and for moisture to ensure there is plenty of dry sand available. Updates would then be sent to the individual running the farm about the sand pile if this automated method was used. An example of the robot's sand reserve at the home base/charging station can be seen in figure 1 (page 7) in the drawings section.
The robot will be able to read where it is in the barn and be able to correctly position itself accordingly using RFID tags, GPS or a similar technology. Multiple methods for the robot to tell its location would reduce the greatly reduce the amount of potential errors as in the system which would improve the systems' efficiency. The communication between the various aspects of the system is illustrated in figure 6 (page 11) in the drawings section.
Each gate that will have to be opened for the robot will have magnets, a simple mechanism or a similar technology that will not require any physical interaction from a human.
This can be done through utilizing electromagnets to turn on and off to allow the various gates to be open and closed. A simple mechanical gate latch could be opened by the robot when it needs to pass through by utilizing a robotic arm. Sensors that could ensure that theses gates are closed that could be used include but are not limited to reed switches.
This type of gate has been illustrated in figure 5 (page 11) in the drawings section.
The robot has to be able to sense objects that are around it to avoid potentially injuring animals or damaging the robot. It will be outfitted with sensors with similar technology to ultrasonic sensors or infrared sensors. Figure 3 (page 8) in the drawings section shows how the robot will have full 360 degree awareness to ensure that it will not hit anything to prevent damage to itself and the its surroundings.
The main hub where all of the controls are kept will be located nearby which will allow farmers to keep the robot on a schedule or have it clean stalls only when it need to. This hub will provide an easy user interface with electrical and/or mechanical switches. There will be a controller present for an individual to use if they wanted to take it off of the autonomous mode. There could be a controller attached through wire or wireless means in the barn, at the home base or on the robot itself. This controller would also be available through the farmers personal device.

These controls are expected to be expanded upon where the farmer will be able to monitor this online or on a mobile phone application to ensure everything from the sand reservoir levels to the daily schedules to the robot's condition is good. This interface could allow users to monitor individual rows and stalls and have the robot replenish these areas even while the user is away from the farm.
The robot will utilize pressurized air, electricity, a moving robotic arm or a combination of these in order to get the cow to move out of the stall. This is important as the cow needs to be out of the stall before any work can be done as the sand needs to be sent throughout the stall, which the cow would prevent. Figure 7 (page 12) in the drawings section shows this idea further with the utilization of the various systems.
This system is designed in order to be able to work independently or work alongside other robotic or mechanical systems. An example of this is how this system could be utilized to deliver the sand to a row and a different system such as the Boomerang dairy sand bedding system can be used to ensure that the sand is used for the full duration of it's useful life. They will be able to communicate through the barn's network through various mediums including wired, Bluetooth, WIFI and cellular.
This system can utilize various means to transport the sand including robotic arms, conveyor belts, augers and transported buckets with controlled shoots. The way that the means of sand transportation is decided is based on a case-by-case basis as each barn has its' own needs and each of the methods above have their own advantages.
The robot can run off an engine and/or a motor.
The robot can refuel and refill simultaneously when it is at the main base.
This will improve the efficiency of this system as it will reduce the amount of off-time the robot requires. An example of the robot's sand reserve at the home base/charging station can be seen in figure 1 (page 7) in the drawings section.
Below are two examples of arrangements that this system could be arranged in order to fit the barns' needs.
The first example of how this can be utilized is when there is a row of head to head cattle which requires more sand to be added only to the one side, the robot will sense that only the one side is low and only deliver the sand to where it is needed. This reduces wasted sand by directly providing more sand to where it is required. The sensors or farmer could then tell the machine to activate in order to replenish this deficiency. In this case, as the barn has the sand reservoir located across the barn, the robot with wheels could be used in order to pick the sand up. This reservoir would be able to be filled by the sand robot as well when it is getting low from a bigger/main sand reservoir. The robot would then have its bucket filled through either submerging the bucket in the pile of sand or by an auger turning on to fill it up. The robot would then move to the required row by locating it based on RFID tags and/or GPS
coordination to then have it dump the sand directly into the stall that requires the extra sand.
The second example of how this can be utilized is when there is a single row of cattle which requires more sand to be added as a general top-up. The schedule that has been setup by the farmer would have the robot activate in order to replenish this deficiency. The robot would then be filled up by the nearby sand reservoir using an auger or conveyor belt, and then would transport the sand using the tracks. This sand would then be transported to the storage bin located in the row which holds the surplus of sand that is to be sent out to the stalls when a certain level of deficiency has been recognized by the sensors. If on the way, a foreign body is found on the track, the robot will act accordingly to slow down, emit a loud and irritating frequency, and then proceed with caution until the hazard is no longer present. This foreign body could be noticed through a variety of sensors including a contact switch, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor or a similar sensor. If necessary, the robot would stop which could set off an alarm or would notify him through his phone if the farmer has either of those options or both set up.
As the needs and design vary by case to case, the steps of each system will be unique but will feature most of the components that have been mentioned above in the description.
There are a variety of arrangements that could be utilized, which are not limited to the two examples mentioned above. Overall, the aim of this system is to solve the problem of animals in barns not having the proper amount of bedding available which can be fixed by eliminating the need for people to have to check as the sand is kept at the appropriate level automatically.
The recharge station will have a vibrating sand sifting screen to ensure that all of the sand has been checked for any unwanted stones.

Background Of The Invention As cow barn stalls are cleaned, they have the excrement removed and the sand repositioned into a sloped pattern. In the past, this has been done using basic tools such as shovels and rakes. Eventually, this has been partially replaced with the utilization of heavier equipment such as groomers to go in and clean up the sand. However, as this takes place, sand is lost which reduces the amount of bedding that the cattle rely on.
Traditionally, tractors would have to pick up the sand and deliver it to the rows and then even it out. But, with this sand transportation stall robot, the sand can be delivered to the stalls and rows where it is needed. This method eliminates human intervention in this stage, which improves efficiency as you no longer have to rely on people to remember to check the sand levels and move the sand to the desired location. With this system working alongside other systems such as the Boomerang dairy sand bedding system, this would make everything related to the sand on the farm after its delivery automated. This routine would be programmed directly into the robot(s) involved. This minimal wait time for animals to receive more sand would drastically improve the comfort of the animals. With dairy cattle, this automation system would hopefully lead to a greater return with milk production with the cows due to the increased comfort.

Summary Of The Invention This delivery system will consist of a track or wheeled system that will move the robot around from stall to stall. The type of transportation system will vary between the needs of individual barns. The barn will be outfitted with a sand reserve that should always be filled with at least a one day supply or 200 lbs. for 3 stalls. The robot will be able to read where it is in the barn and be able to correctly position itself accordingly using RFID tags, GPS
navigation or a similar technology. Each gate that will have to be opened for the robot will have magnets, a simple mechanical mechanism or a similar technology that will not require any physical interaction from a human. The robot has to be able to sense everything that is around it to avoid injuring animals or breaking so it will be outfitted with sensors related to this which will be of a similar technology to ultrasonic sensors or infrared sensors. The main hub where all of the controls are kept will be located nearby which will allow farmers to keep the robot on a schedule or have it clean stalls only when it need to. These controls are expected to be expanded upon where the farmer will be able to monitor this online or on a mobile phone application to ensure everything from the sand reservoir levels to the daily schedules to the robot's condition is good. This communication can take place over various mediums including wired, Bluetooth, WIFI and cellular. The robot will utilize pressurized air, electricity, a moving arm to apply light pressure on the animal or a combination of these in order to get the cow to move out of the stall. This system is designed in order to be able to work independently or work alongside other robotic or mechanical systems. This system will be able to utilize various means to transport the sand including robotic arms, conveyor belts, augers and movable buckets on tracks and wheels. The auger would be mounted on the robot and have the option to spin on a base which is powered by a linear actuator and/or by a motor. The bucket may be divided into sections to allow sand to be divided among various stalls by each of the sections being dumped individually. The bucket is designed in a v-trough/ tapered design in the bottom to ensure the sand flows properly and little to none is left in the bucket. The robot is able to run off an engine and/or a motor. The robot can refuel and refill simultaneously when it is at the main base. This will improve the efficiency of this system as it will reduce the amount of off-time the robot requires.

Claims (23)

The Embodiments Of The Invention In Which An Exclusive Property Or Privilege Is Claimed Are Defined As Follows
1. A sand transportation robot that is utilized in a barn that has the ability to move between stalls and deliver sand according to where it has been ordered to go.
2. The ability to actively search if a sand bed is in need of more sand and/or grooming through sensors.
3. The ability to actively program the robot to perform different programmed modes related to when to deliver sand to stalls.
4. The ability for the robot to travel from stall to stall using gates controlled through magnets or through a simple mechanical mechanism that eliminates human interaction.
5. The ability for the robot to know where it is in the barn by utilizing RFID
tags, optical sensors, GPS location, a similar technology or a combination of these.
6. The ability to have sand delivered to the sand reservoir where it can be monitored and the sand can be taken from and delivered to the stalls.
7. The ability for the sand's moisture to be monitored to ensure it isn't too damp to be used in the stall.
8. The ability for the sand to be filtered to prevent any rocks from passing through.
9. The ability for the robot to move using either a wheel-based transportation system or a track-based transportation system.
10. The ability for the robot to be able to avoid running into objects by utilizing sensors including but not limited to ultrasonic sensors and infrared sensors.
11. The ability for the robot to utilize pressurized air, electricity, a moving robotic arm or a combination of these in order to get the cow to move out of the stall.
12. The ability to travel throughout rows and between various rows from the sand reservoir in order to deliver sand.
13. The ability to utilize more than one robot to complete the task of delivering sand from the reservoir to the stall(s).
14. This system has the ability to be able to work independently or work alongside other robotic or mechanical systems.
15. This system has the ability to transport sand by using robotic arms.
16. This system has the ability to transport sand by using conveyer belts.
17. This system has the ability to transport sand by using an auger mechanism with or without a rotational base utilizing an actuator to maneuver the auger.
18. This system has the ability to transport sand by using a bucket mounted on a track or wheel base.
19. The ability for the system to communicate over various mediums including wired, Bluetooth, WIFI and cellular.
20. The ability for the robot to run off an engine and/or a motor
21. The ability for the robot to refuel and refill simultaneously when it is at the main base
22. The ability for the bucket to utilize a tapered/v-trough design
23. The ability for the recharging station to have a vibrating sand sifting screen
CA2974519A 2017-07-26 2017-07-26 Sand transportation robot system Abandoned CA2974519A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA2974519A CA2974519A1 (en) 2017-07-26 2017-07-26 Sand transportation robot system

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA2974519A CA2974519A1 (en) 2017-07-26 2017-07-26 Sand transportation robot system

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2974519A1 true CA2974519A1 (en) 2019-01-26

Family

ID=65037674

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA2974519A Abandoned CA2974519A1 (en) 2017-07-26 2017-07-26 Sand transportation robot system

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA2974519A1 (en)

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Effective date: 20200831