Lely Discovery celebrates 20-year anniversary

In an interview Clemens Duijnisveld, Head of Proposition of the Business Team Manure at Lely, shares insights into the development and evolution of the Discovery series manure robots. Learn about the challenges faced, the solutions found, and the future of manure management in dairy farming.

‘Innovation is about pushing boundaries’

Clemens Duijnisveld Head of Proposition Business Team Manure

Interview

With the dairy farmer and cow at heart

Besides the further development of the milking robot, at the end of the nineties Lely's focus shifted to the processing of manure in the barn. Back in 1999, Lely filed the patent for a compact device with two wheels and a support point to slide manure through the barn while driving between the cows. However, it took until 2005 before the Discovery Classic could actually drive its first rounds through the barn. 'Development and innovation are about pushing the boundaries. This involves trial and error,' explains Clemens Duijnisveld, Head of Proposition in the BT Manure at Lely. 'With the milking robot, the cow came to the robot, with the Discovery Classic, the starting point was that the robot works between the cows. So, the machine had to be compact and safe. 'The manure robot was designed with the dairy farmer and the cow at heart. It takes away a time-consuming, repetitive task from the dairy farmer, drives in between the cows respecting free cow traffic and ensures cleaner floors, which can contribute to the cows' hoof and udder health.

Improve and refine

To name a few crucial components. 'We started with a magnetic compass as navigation for the Discovery Classic. But with all the steel structures and fencing in cow barns, that turned out not to work.' Also, the so-called horizontal 'guidance wheel' that allows the Discovery Classic to turn quickly and short had to be 'forgiving'. 'If it gets stuck, the robot must be able to correct itself again,' Clemens explains. The tyres also required attention. The trick was to get enough grip on the slatted floor, but also to ensure sufficient lifetime. 'Pneumatic tyres worked but did not last long enough. Ultimately, the solution was found in pur-filled tyres.' The weight to keep the Classic on the ground initially came from a block of lead in the machine but was eventually replaced by concrete. 'Cheaper and more environmentally friendly.'

The development of the first Discovery robots

The Discovery Classic evolved into an 'S', to which the 'SW' was added, or Scraper with Water. In well-ventilated barns - especially in warm weather - a biofilm of manure develops on the slatted floors that is difficult to get clean and can become slippery. The Discovery SW offers a solution by first spraying some water and then pushing the manure. 'The idea started to make a water reservoir in the concrete block that can hold about 30 litres of water,' explains Clemens. Meanwhile, for the Discovery S/SW, the E-link, which allowed dairy farmers to program the route of the manure robot through the barn, was also replaced by the Lely Control app on the smartphone.

A Discovery for every barn

The Discovery S and SW push the manure into the manure pit through openings in the slatted floor. A type of floor mainly found in the Netherlands, but also in Germany, Belgium and Denmark. We wouldn't be Lely if we didn't push the boundaries further. 'Learning and innovation never stops,' indicates Clemens. ‘With this drive, over the past 20 years we have built our range of manure robots into the most comprehensive portfolio in the market with a Discovery for every barn.’ In 2016 an all-new Discovery was launched with also a new name; the Discovery Collector, that collects manure instead of pushing it. This made us the first to offer a solution for (semi)closed floors. A revolution in the market, which opened up huge market potential for us. After all, approximately 70% of barns worldwide have a (semi)closed floor. In 2023, we added the Collector C2 to the portfolio, with more driving capacity due to an improved battery and wireless charging and the ability to charge and dump at one combined station. And most recently, in September 2024, with the launch of the ' sand flush' accessory, we were again the first to come up with a solution for barns with sand bedding.

Almost 29.000 Discovery robots worldwide

Over the past 20 years, the Discovery manure robots have become a fixture in many dairy farms worldwide. In the Netherlands, Discovery S and SW are currently running on almost a third of the dairy farms! Worldwide, there are now almost 22.000 Discovery S and SWs and around 6.500 Collectors C1 and C2 working every day to keep the barn floors clean. With the possibility now also to clean (semi)closed floors in barns with sand bedding with the sand flush, the customer base continues to expand.

From farm friend to future essential

As a permanent worker on the farm, the Discovery manure robots will continue to relieve dairy farmers for many years to come and keep contributing to reducing hoof and udder-related health problems. In addition, the Discovery Collector has been given an important role in new developments on the dairy farm. Think of the Lely Sphere, where the Collector is the basis of this circular manure handling system, where urine ends up in the cellar and the manure robot ensures that the feces is stored separately. Quite extraordinary how such a manure robot has evolved from farmer- and cow-friendly to an important component in future-proof, sustainable dairy farming.

Top