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Robots Milking Cows
axlrosen writes "The Globe has an article about robotic cow-milking machines. The cows are trained to walk up to the machine, and then "a laser locates the cow's nipples, which are cleaned by rollers coated with disinfectant before being milked by long, white suction tubes on the unit's milking claw. Vacuum-activated rubber rings at the end of each tube massage the nipple, prompting the cow to release its milk.""
No, really, this isn't a false article. My dad is a dairy farm technician/dealer and he's known about these for a while.. they cost around $100,000-$200,000 apiece. One company that is working on trial products is this company: Boumatic, their robotics 'page' is here.