Robotic and information technologies in livestock agriculture: new relationships between humans, cows and machines
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Hull
Department Name: Geography, Environment and Earth Science
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Organisations
Publications
Bear C
(2017)
Visualizing Human-Animal-Technology Relations
in Society & Animals
Butler D
(2015)
Technology and Restructuring the Social Field of Dairy Farming: Hybrid Capitals, 'Stockmanship' and Automatic Milking Systems
in Sociologia Ruralis
Christopher Bear (Author)
(2011)
Robotic milking and the emergent relational geographies of livestock agriculture
Deborah Butler (Co-Author)
(2012)
The impact of technological change in dairy farming : robotic milking systems and the changing role of the stockperson
in Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England
HOLLOWAY L
(2017)
Bovine and human becomings in histories of dairy technologies: robotic milking systems and remaking animal and human subjectivity
in BJHS Themes
Holloway L
(2013)
Robotic milking technologies and renegotiating situated ethical relationships on UK dairy farms
in Agriculture and Human Values
Holloway L
(2014)
Re-capturing bovine life: Robot-cow relationships, freedom and control in dairy farming
in Journal of Rural Studies
Katy Wilkinson (Author)
(2011)
Visual methods and researching human-animal-technology relationships : cows, people and robots
Lewis Holloway (Author)
(2011)
Robotic milking technologies and the renegotiation of situated ethical relationships on UK dairy farms
Lewis Holloway (Author)
(2011)
Remaking agricultural collectives : robotic milking and the co-constitution of humans, dairy cows and technologies
| Description | 1. Farmers use robots in unique ways relating to their personalities and specific characteristics of their farms. Technology adoption and use is complex because the technology has to fit into all sorts of existing circumstances and relationships. A robot isn't just a new machine - it implies adopting other things, particularly a different 'philosophy' of dairy farming. 2. AMS don't just fit in to existing circumstances and human-animal relationships. They change the circumstances and relationships. The robot affects what the farmer is expected to know and do; it affects farm layout, system and routine and it affects the farmer's behaviour and his/her relationships with their cows. AMS change farmer-cow relationships significantly, creating new possibilities for how cows are seen and known by the farmer. But the farmer has to make the most of the opportunities created by the robot. For many AMS users, AMS demand even higher levels of stockmanship and discipline than conventional milking. AMS are associated with renegotiating human-animal relationships on dairy farms, conceptualised in terms of a shift in 'situated' ethics. The complexities of this were discussed in conference presentations and in papers published in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England and forthcoming in Journal of Rural Studies. 3. Farmers using AMS experiment and tinker with robots and the farm system, trying to get the technology to work optimally in unique circumstances. It involves trying to understand the robot and what it can/cannot do, and trying to overcome some of its limits. Learning to live with the robots, as well as informal communication with other farmers and reference to online discussions, can take precedence over formal communication with manufacturers. 4. Farmers using AMS have to learn to make use of the data produced by the robot, and to build their work routines around data analysis and responses to what the data tells them. However, many feel overwhelmed and admit to using only a fraction of the data available. Alternative ways of ensuring better use of the data could usefully be explored by manufacturers. 5. Use of visual methods in researching human-cow-technology relationships in dairy farming has produced useful insights into the nature of these relationships. Visual methods led the researchers to focus on different scales of analysis - for example in following individual animals or watching individual moments of interaction between cows and robots and/or humans, observing the movement of a herd of cows around the cowshed, or situating the cows and cowshed amongst the wider farm environment. From a non-representational perspective, the researchers gained a multisensory encounter with the cows, robots and farm. Observing individual cows and groups of cows encouraged the researchers to begin to think about bovine experiences, interactions and welfare in new ways. Critical appraisal of these methods in symmetrically exploring human-nonhuman relations, alongside thinking about how to articulate what was observed in meaningful ways, was undertaken through a presentation at the International Visual Studies Conference. |
| Exploitation Route | The end of project publication and practitioner seminar stimulated debates about improving communication and benchmarking within the dairy farming sector. |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink |
| URL | http://www2.hull.ac.uk/science/geography-1/research/livestockrobotics.aspx |
| Description | Cows milked by robots : the rights and wrongs of modern dairy farming |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Science Cafe event, Beverley, East Yorkshire, 27th June 2012 Section not completed |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| URL | http://www2.hull.ac.uk/science/pdf/geoglivestock_rob_Science%20cafe%20handout.pdf |
| Description | Dairy cow management and welfare : what difference does robotic milking make? |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Seminar aimed at a range of user groups including robotic milking equipment manufacturers, dairy cow veterinary and nutritional specialists and farmer organisations. As well as a presentation and discussion of project findings, the seminar included two expert guest speakers (Professor Toby Mottram, Royal Agricultural College; Dr. Jon Huxley, School of Veterinary Science, Nottingham University). none recorded |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Dairy cow management and welfare: what difference does robotic milking make? |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 'Webinar' presentation as part of a series of 'Technology Tuesdays' hosted by Penn State University, College of Agricultural Sciences Dairy Extension. This presentation was part of the Robotic Milking Edition, held on 25th March 2014. none recorded |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Robotic milking technologies and the renegotiation of situated ethical relationships on UK dairy farms |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Seminar paper delivered to the British Animal Studies Network 'Farm' meeting, 16-17 November 2012, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK none recorded |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |