Robot Milker

Before you start

Start-up | SOCK IO + Animate Shield

How to use the features of our SOCK IO + Animate shield combo.

Start-up | Adjusting Servo Socks

How to adjust where the start and end position for a servo motor inside a Servo Sock.

Start-up | Fastening Techniques

A quick review of some general fastening techniques

Sock IO + Animate Shield Diagram

The following diagram will get things moving quickly

Overview

Let's build a moving model of a robotic milking system. This will provide the opportunity to chat about how these machines work in the dairy industry and how each component works to provide a great experience for the cow.

Skills + Goals

Understand the mechanics of a robotic milking system

How a robotic arm, servo/actuator, frame, and milk line work together to mimic the milking process.

Demonstrate basic hands-on assembly skills

Assemble the frame, mount servos/arms, connect the milk line correctly, and build the “cow” model as per instructions.

Understand control and programming aspects

Connect servo to controller board (e.g. D8 pin), know how to test and adjust servo movement to get proper “milking” motion.

Gain insight into the real-world context

Learn how real Automatic Milking Systems (AMS) work, what makes them efficient (cow behavior, mechanics, herd management), and what farm-level management changes robotic milking brings.

Develop problem-solving and troubleshooting

Be prepared to fix misalignments, adjust motor/arm positioning, and ensure motion works smoothly (e.g. if the arm doesn’t swing right) as described in the build steps.

Age 8+

Time 30 min

Build Video

Build Steps

Step 1

Mount the 2 wood blocks to the frame using the #6 x 1/2" wood screws (4)

Step 2

Mount the Servo Sock onto the frame using (2) of the #6 x 1/2" wood screws. You should first drill a pilot hole using the included drill bit and screwdriver handle.

*Note - before doing this, be sure to test your Servo Sock so that the driven side (the side that moves) is facing as shown.

Step 3

Assemble the arm as shown using the (2) 6-32 x 3/4" machine screws.

Step 4

Mount the arm onto the Servo Sock using (2) of the #6 x 1/2" wood screws.

Step 5

Mount the hole attachment using (2) of the #6 x 1/2" wood screws.

Step 5

Install the milk line as shown.

Step 6

Assembly your cow using (6) of the #6 x 3/4" wood screws as shown.

Step 8

To connect the controller use the power connector as shown and connect the servo to the D8 pin.

To learn more about the control board, refer to the Start-up - Sock IO + Animate Shied video in the Learning Library (https://makestuffmove.com/build/start-up-sock-io-animate-shield/)

Step 9

You are now ready to start milking! If the arm does not swing where you need it to, you may need to adjust the motor position.

For help with this, refer to the "Adjusting Servo Socks" video in the Learning Library (https://makestuffmove.com/build/start-up-adjusting-servo-socks/)