Lely introduces autonomous feed pushing robot for large-scale farms

Maassluis, September 10, 2024 – Lely launches the revolutionary Juno Max: the first truly autonomous feed pusher for large-scale farms that takes feed pushing to the next level. Juno Max is designed to push feed quickly, smartly and efficiently, in multiple barns and feeding alleys. The newly designed free navigation system and obstacle detection ensure it can always accomplish its task: efficient feed pushing for large-scale farms.

Sept. 10, 2024

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Juno Max was launched during the Yellow Revolution Event today, where impactful concepts are introduced that truly emphasize Lely’s innovative DNA. “Juno Max brings all the benefits of automated feed pushing for animal welfare, improved environment and farmer prosperity to large-scale farms.” says Korstiaan Blokland, Director Innovations at Lely. “By adding the Juno Max to the existing Juno line-up, Lely offers farmers flexibility in choosing the best option for feed pushing on their farm operation.”

Autonomous powerhouse for large-scale farms  

Juno Max is designed to push feed efficiently on large-scale farms with at least 800-1.000 cows. It can deliver high output and drive and push at a high speed. It has the necessary safety measures on board to do so. Thanks to its three large, driven wheels, Juno Max can operate on uneven yards and slopes of up to 20%.

It’s the first truly autonomous feed pusher, thanks to its free navigation capabilities. Juno Max uses a lidar laser scanner, odometry and a virtual map of the farm to navigate and plan its own optimal route. The built-in multifunctional stereo-camera and laser scanner not only measure volume at the feed fence but they can also detect obstacles. Combined with the virtual map, the camera and scanner allow Juno Max to find a new route and autonomously complete its task.  

Juno Max comes with a digital management system and an app. This gives the farmer insight into all the robot's features. These tools allow him to set routes and timing and see the development in feed height, among other things. The farmer can easily and quickly determine the location of the robot, give a new assignment or temporarily pause the feeding schedule in the app. This way, the farmer always has insight and easy control, and Juno Max can be tailored to the specific needs of each farm.

To improve peace of mind of the farmer and uptime of the robot, remote assistance will be launched along with the Juno Max. There’s 24/7 online support available through a dedicated Lely team, handling many of the alarms without the farmer even noticing. This enables app control, instant feedback and remote software updates. In addition, remote assistance allows for a futureproof and labor friendly way of service.

Good animal health at large-scale farms  

One of the top priorities for large-scale farms is efficient and healthy feed management. It is crucial for good animal health and efficient operations. Juno Max allows cows to follow their own rhythm, which contributes to higher feed intake, good production, better animal health and feed efficiency. Real benefits for large-scale farms. Next to that, finding staff is a big challenge for large-scale farms. Automation and robotization contribute to reducing the pressure on finding and retaining staff.

As Juno Max is a Yellow Revolution, Lely is working on its commercial launch. Juno Max will be available next to Juno. More information on commercial availability will be announced as soon as possible.

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