Dutch manufacturer Lely is revamping its Juno feed pusher so that it can work faster, travel over rougher and steeper surfaces, and plot its own route between several sheds.

Unlike the existing Juno J2 – which relies on a network of guide strips to navigate through the yard – the Juno Max can plan and adapt its course autonomously.

To do so, the farm must first be scanned with a handheld laser and the intended working and charging locations added to the resulting map.

See also: Video: How a robotic suckler beef feeding system cut costs by 75%

Rather than running blind errands, the Max is equipped with a Lidar laser scanner and stereo camera.

These both detect obstacles and, as a secondary function, monitor the volume of feed remaining at the fence.

As such, the Max can keep tabs on consumption and alert farmers to any shortages.

This information can also be used by Lely’s other automatons – the Exos zero grazer and Vector feed kitchen – for a zero-labour catering system.

The accompanying digital management system, accessed through a smartphone app, allows owners to schedule work intervals, view camera images, initiate new tasks and view the location of the robot.

© Lely

Faster work

The tricycle running gear has been improved too, with bigger wheels that are apparently better able to handle uneven yard surfaces, broken concrete, and slopes of up to 20%.

And it’s significantly faster, with the Max’s top speed 72m/min – six-times that of the J2.

By Lely’s reckoning, this, combined with a 10min longer runtime between charges and a far better work time/charge time ratio, should be enough to keep up with a herd of 3,000 cows.

However, a commercial launch isn’t expected until 2027.