The Shuttle Eco, Wassenbauer’s first autonomous livestock feeding robot, travels unassisted through the building and dispenses feedstuffs automatically.
Capable of feeding animals in different buildings, the device shares some of its technology with the Austrian company’s Butler Gold robotic feed pusher. This includes the charging system, auger to divert feed to the fence and movement detection sensors. Also, it is guided by the same 5mm-diameter magnets sunk into the concrete at 2.0m intervals.
Wassenbauer reckons the battery-powered device is easy to operate and can be programmed to collect individual ingredients and travel to the silage clamp where the 2.2m³ capacity plastic tub is automatically filled by an unusual mobile device called Lift.
Cut by a milling head, which slides up and down a mast, silage is blown through a pipe to the Shuttle Eco’s mixing tub. When full, the autonomous feeder returns to the charging station to mix the contents, which the company reckons helps to increase battery operating time.
The first opportunity to see the machine is likely to be at German EuroTier livestock machinery show in November.
