Tool-positioning system and method, rotary milking platform, computer program and non-volatile data carrier

A system for determining the positions of tools in an automatic milking arrangement and picking up the tools, the system comprising:

• a camera (130) configured to, from an origin location (PC), register three-dimensional image data (Dimg3D) of at least four tools (141, 142, 143, 144) whose respective positions are to be determined;
• a control unit (120) configured to:
• cause the camera (130) to obtain three-dimensional image data (Dimg3D) representing the at least four tools,
• identify tool candidates (TC1, TC2, TC3, TC4) in the three-dimensional image data (Dimg3D) using an algorithm involving matching the three-dimensional image data (Dimg3D) against reference data, and
• calculate a respective position (PT1, PT2, PT3, PT4) for the at least four tools (141, 142, 143, 144) based on the origin location (PC(xC, yC, zC)) and data expressing respective distances (d1(x1, y1, z1)) from the origin location to each of the tool candidates (TC1, TC2, TC3, TC4) identified when the at least four tools (141, 142, 143, 144) are arranged according to a spatially even distribution relative to one another, and
• the control unit (120) is further configured to calculate the respective position (PT1, PT2, PT3, PT4) for each of the at least four tools (141, 142, 143, 144) based on the origin location (PC(xC, yC, zC)) and data expressing respective distances (d1(x1, y1, z1)) from the origin location to each of the tool candidates (TC1, TC2, TC3, TC4) identified while disregarding any individual tool candidate (TC2) at such a position that the position for the individual tool candidate (TC2) deviates from the spatially even distribution such that the position of the disregarded tool (TC2) is not calculated;
• and
• a tool-pickup system configured to use each of the calculated respective positions (PT1, PT2, PT3, PT4) in picking up the tools (141, 143, 144) located at the calculated respective positions (141, 143 and 144) while not picking up any disregarded tool (TC2).