10055815Automated cubicle cleanerClosedCollaborative R&DISCFMastitis 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.