Prospective aspects in the robotization development of animal husbandry processes

Abstract

Robotization covers almost all the main, time-consuming and monotonous technological processes of animal husbandry – feed preparation and distribution, milking, manure cleaning, wool cutting, control, counting and packing of eggs, etc. Each of these processes is currently in a different degree of robotization. For example, all the main technological stages of milk production are already robotized so completely that further improvement of the developed automatic milking complexes is only possible. Apparently, a similar situation should develop over time in other labor-intensive, but much less or not at all robotic livestock industries. On the other hand, processes that require a creative, intelligent approach to solving technological problems of animal husbandry are still out of the field of view of developers of robotic systems. Mass vaccination of animals or veterinary control of livestock, treatment and biotechnological procedures can be mentioned among such non-robotic routine processes.

Biotechnology of animal husbandry is a promising and priority direction of development of the industry, aimed at accelerated improvement of existing and creation of new breeds and species of animals in order to maximize production. Currently, only some of the processes of animal biotechnology are partially automated – the processes of DNA technologies and only certain operations of cellular and genetic engineering, for example, cell sorting, individual micro- and electromanipulations with cells.

The article offers a conditional scheme of prospects for the development of traditional and innovative processes of animal husbandry. The first ones are the main ones (milking, feeding, manure harvesting). they are now robotic to varying degrees and have prospects for improvement to full robotization. The latter are auxiliary (veterinary, biotechnological, breeding, etc.), not yet robotic, but have significant prospects for robotization in the next 5 – 15 years due to the introduction of separate automated devices and devices.