Automated cubicle cleaner

奶牛乳腺炎是英国和英国农业面临的一个重大问题，每年给该行业造成1.7亿英镑的损失（Volac, 2022）。引起乳腺炎的病原体可以通过挤奶设备的污染传播，但两种主要的乳腺炎病原体，大肠杆菌和uberis是通过环境传播的，其中包括通过床上用品传播（NADIS, 2022）。因此，为奶牛提供尽可能干净的床上用品是至关重要的。在英国，奶牛的主要床褥类型是隔间，因为它们可以提供高放养密度，与失去的稻草床褥相比，它们相对清洁（AHDB, 2022）。然而，小隔间必须精心设计并保持清洁，以确保最干净的床上用品环境。隔间的清洁度取决于清洁的频率和方法，以及使用的床上用品类型和调理剂。隔间清洁可以使用手动刷或自行或拖拉机安装的旋转刷进行。这些清洁方法不提供消毒，实际上会在隔间之间传播病原体。许多被褥材料，用于覆盖隔间的垫子或床垫通常是有机材料（也使用无机材料），可以培养乳腺炎病原体，特别是在隔间被粪便和泄漏的牛奶严重污染的地方。该项目旨在开始开发一种创新的自清洁隔间设计，它将自动为奶牛提供消毒隔间。朝着自动隔间清洁的方向发展，进一步推动了奶牛场操作的自动化，但也有助于减少农场乳腺炎。乳腺炎对该行业来说代价高昂，因为使用抗生素来控制感染，这会导致停用抗生素的奶牛对牛奶产生排斥反应，以及对高体细胞计数的牛奶产生排斥反应。因此，自动清洁隔间系统可能会受到业界的欢迎。消除传统隔间的劳动力和材料成本也将为行业节省大量成本。

Mastitis in dairy cattle is a massive issue facing English and British Agriculture, costing the industry £170 million per year (Volac, 2022). Mastitis-causing pathogens can be spread through the contamination of milking equipment but two of the major mastitis pathogens, E.coli and S. uberis are spread through the environment, which includes transmission via bedding (NADIS, 2022). Therefore, providing the cleanest possible bedding to dairy cows is paramount.The dominant bedding type for dairy cows in the UK is the cubicle due to the high stocking density they can provide in housing and the relative cleanliness compared to lose straw bedding (AHDB, 2022). However, cubicles must be well-designed and kept clean to ensure the cleanest possible bedding environment. Cubicle cleanliness is dependent on the frequency and method of cleaning and the bedding type and conditioners used.Cubicle cleaning is carried out either using a manual brush or a self-propelled or tractor-mounted rotary brush. These methods of cleaning offer no disinfection and can in fact spread pathogens between cubicles. Many bedding materials, used to coat the cubicle mat or mattress are often organic materials (with inorganic materials such in use also) which can culture mastitis pathogens, particularly where cubicles are heavily soiled with manure and leaked milk.This project seeks to start the development of an innovative new self-cleaning cubicle design, which will automatically provide a sterilised cubicle for cows. A move towards automated cubicle cleaning furthers the automation of dairy operations but will also aid in the reduction of on-farm mastitis. Mastitis is costly to the industry due to the use of antibiotics to control infection which leads to a rejection of milk from cows under antibiotic withdrawal, as well as the rejection of milk with a high somatic cell count. Therefore, an auto-cleaning cubicle system could be well-received by the industry. Removing the labour and material cost of conventional cubicles would also represent considerable cost savings to the industry.