UW-Platteville’s new robotic milkers enable research opportunity

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. (WMTV) - UW-Platteville’s Pioneer Farm is now home to two new robotic milkers, enabling opportunities for research and engagement campus-wide and regionally.

Funded through the Dairy Innovation Hub, the two Lely A5 Astronaut robotic milkers were installed earlier this month and introduced to the nearly 200-cow herd at Pioneer Farm this week, University Communications said.

The robots aren’t just helpful farmhands. They collect information about the cow’s health, lactation, behavior and more, the UW school reported.

“Students will be able to learn how to interpret the data, which is going to help them whether they become a producer themselves or work with robots at an allied company,” dairy and animal science professor Tera Montgomery, said.

In addition to agriculture, Montgomery added the android assistants have the potential for research opportunities in cybersecurity, design and engineering.

Watch a video of the new robotic milkers on YouTube.