Tool-positioning system and method, rotary milking platform, computer program and non-volatile data carrier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12083689-B2
Application number	US-201917290709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2019
Priority date	Nov 1, 2018
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

In picking up tools in an automatic milking arrangement, the positions of the tools are determined by registering, via a camera at an origin location, three-dimensional image data representing the tools whose positions are to be determined. Using an algorithm involving matching the image data against reference data, tool candidates are identified in the three-dimensional image data. A respective position is calculated for the tools based on the origin location and data expressing respective distances from the origin location to each of the identified tool candidates. It is presumed that the tools have predefined locations relative to one another. Therefore, any second tool candidate is disregarded, which is detected at a separation distance from a first tool candidate when the separation distance exceeds a first threshold distance in relation to the predefined relative locations.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for determining the positions of tools in an automatic milking arrangement and picking up the tools, the system comprising:
a camera ( 130 ) configured to, from an origin location (P C ), register three-dimensional image data (D img3D ) of at least two tools ( 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 ) whose respective positions are to be determined;
a control unit ( 120 ) configured to:
cause the camera ( 130 ) to obtain three-dimensional image data (D img3D ) representing the at least two tools,
identify tool candidates (T C1 , T C2 , T C3 , T C4 ) in the three-dimensional image data (D img3D ) using an algorithm involving matching the three-dimensional image data (D img3D ) against reference data, and
calculate a respective position (P T1 , P T2 , P T3 , P T4 ) for the at least two tools ( 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 ) based on the origin location (P C (x C , y C , z C )) and data expressing respective distances (d 1 (x 1 , y 1 , z 1 )) from the origin location to each of the tool candidates (T C1 , T C2 , T C3 , T C4 ) identified, wherein,
the at least two tools ( 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 ) have predefined locations (Δd) relative to one another, and the control unit ( 120 ) is further configured to disregard any second tool candidate (T C2 ) detected at a separation distance (d s ) from a first tool candidate (T C1 ) when the separation distance (d s ) exceeds a first threshold distance (d th1 ) in relation to the predefined relative locations (Δd); and
a tool-pickup system configured to use the respective positions (P T1 , P T2 , P T3 , P T4 ) for the at least two tools ( 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 ), determined by the control unit ( 120 ), in picking up at least one of the at least two tools ( 141 , 142 , 143 and 144 ).

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two tools comprises four tools ( 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 ) arranged relative to one another in a predefined pattern, and the control unit ( 120 ) is configured to use information about the predefined pattern to confirm and/or disregard at least one of the tool candidates (T C1 , T C2 , T C3 , T C4 ).

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein,
the at least two tools are defined by four tools ( 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 ) arrangeable along a line (L), and
the control unit ( 120 ) is configured to disregard any tool candidate (T C3 ) detected at an outlier distance (d o ) exceeding a second threshold distance (d th2 ) from an estimated line (L e ) interconnecting at least two other tool candidates (T C1 , T C2 , T C4 ) in a set of tool candidates for said tools.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein,
the four tools ( 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 ) are arrangeable with an equal inter-distance (Δd) along the line (L) between each neighboring tool of said four tools whereby a first tool and an adjacent second tool of the four tools define a primary pair of neighboring tool candidates, and the second tool and an adjacent third tool of the four tools define an adjacent secondary pair of neighboring tool candidates, and
the control unit ( 120 ) is configured to disregard the second tool, of the primary pair of neighboring tool candidates, as a tool candidate detected at such a position that results in that a difference, between a first inter-distance (Δd 1 ) along the line between the first and second tools of the primary pair of neighboring tool candidates and a second inter-distance (Δd 2 ) along the line between the second tool of the primary pair of neighboring tool candidates and the adjacent third tool of the secondary pair of neighboring tool candidates, exceeds a third threshold distance.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein, the respective position (P T1 , P T2 , P T3 , P T4 ) for each of the at least two tools ( 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 ) is expressed in terms of the space coordinates for a particular point on an object depicted in the three-dimensional image data (D img3D ).

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein, when a processing time after having obtained the three-dimensional image data (D img3D ) in the control unit ( 120 ), less than a predefined number of tool candidates have been identified, the control unit ( 120 ) is configured to reposition the camera ( 130 ) to a new origin location (P C ) from which the at least two tools ( 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 ) are visible in the camera ( 130 ), cause the camera ( 130 ) to obtain updated three-dimensional image data (D img3D ) representing the at least two tools, which updated three-dimensional image data (D img3D ) have been registered from the new origin location (P C ), calculate a respective position (P T1 , P T2 , P T3 , P T4 ) for the at least two tools ( 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 ) based on the new origin location (P C ) and data expressing respective distances from the new origin location (P C ) to each of the identified tool candidates (T C1 , T C2 , T C3 , T C4 ).

7. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a memory unit ( 160 ), wherein the control unit ( 120 ) is configured to store the respective positions (P T1 , P T2 , P T3 , P T4 ) for the at least two tools ( 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 ) in the memory unit ( 160 ) from which the stored respective positions (P T1 , P T2 , P T3 , P T4 ) are retrievable by the tool-pickup system in connection with picking up the at least one of the at least two tools ( 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 ) for attachment to an animal.

8. The system according to claim 7 , further comprising a tool rack ( 150 ),
wherein the at least two tools ( 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 ) are placed in the tool rack ( 150 ),
wherein the system further comprises a grip device ( 115 ) arranged on a robotic arm ( 110 ), and after that the respective positions (P T1 , P T2 , P T3 , P T4 ) have been stored in the memory unit ( 160 ), the control unit ( 120 ) is further configured to:
retrieve the stored respective positions (P T1 , P T2 , P T3 , P T4 ) from the memory unit ( 160 ), and
control the robotic arm ( 110 ) and the grip device ( 115 ) to pick up at least one of the at least two tools ( 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 ) from the tool rack ( 150 ).

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the camera ( 130 ) is arranged on the robotic arm ( 110 ).

10. A rotary milking platform ( 500 ) having a plurality of milking stalls ( 520 i ) each of which comprises at least two tools ( 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 ), and the rotary milking platform ( 500 ) comprises a system for determining the positions of tools according to claim 1 , which system is arranged to calculate a respective position (P T1 , P T2 , P T3 , P T4 ) for the at least two tools ( 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 ) in each of said milking stalls ( 520 i ).

11. A method for determining the positions of tools in an automatic milking arrangement and picking up the tools, the method comprising:
registering, via a camera ( 130 ) at an origin location (P C ), three-dimensional image data (D img3D ) representing at least two tools ( 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 ) whose positions are to be determined;
identifying tool candidates (T C1 , T C2 , T C3 , T C4 ) in the three-dimensional image data (D img3D ) using an algorithm involving matching the three-dimensional image data (D img3D ) against reference data;
calculating a respective position (P T1 , P T2 , P T3 , P T4 ) for the at least two tools ( 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 ) based on the origin location (P C (x C , y C , z C )) and data expressing respective distances (d 1 (x 1 , y 1 , z 1 )) from the origin location to each of the tool candidates (T C1 , T C2 , T C3 , T C4 ) identified, wherein the at least two tools ( 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 ) have predefined locations (Δd) relative to one another;

Assignees

• Delaval Holding Ab

Inventors

• Eriksson Andreas

Classifications

• G06T7/74

  involving reference images or patches · CPC title

• G05B2219/45113

  Animal handling, milking robot · CPC title

• A01J5/0175

  Attaching of clusters · CPC title

• B25J9/1697 Primary

  Vision controlled systems · CPC title