Lely’s Astronaut A4 milker has now been designed to make cow traffic movement a more natural and stress-free experience.

Entry to the stall is now “straight in” rather than the angled door approach used in earlier versions.

Similarly, when the cow has been milked, the exit door opens directly in front of the cow.

Lely points out that for new cows, the entry system is much more acceptable and the time taken for her to become accustomed to the system, much shorter.

Positioning the feeder trough on the end door so that it slides away when the door is opened also prevents cows lingering in the stall.

Other changes include use of an overhead 3D camera to track cow movement during milking to allow the cluster support arm to move in sequence.

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