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The barn may be arranged such that access to the main feeding area can only be obtained by passing the milking unit. This layout is referred to as ''forced cow traffic''. Alternatively, the barn may be set up such that the cow always has access to feed, water, and a comfortable place to lie down, and is only motivated to visit the milking system by the palatable feed available there. This is referred to as ''free cow traffic''.
The innovative core of the AMS system is the robotic manipulator in the milking unit. This robotic arm automates the tasks of teat cleaning and milking attachment and removes the final elements of manual labour from the milking process. Careful design of the robot arm and associated sensors and controls allows robust unsupervised performance, such that the farmer is only required to attend the cows for condition inspection and when a cow has not attended for milking.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT8308307720.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214194607/http://linuxdevices.com/articles/AT8308307720.html|archivedate=2009-02-14|
Typical capacity for an AMS is 50–70 cows per milking unit. AMS usually achieve milking frequencies between 2 and 3 times per day, so a single milking unit handling 60 cows and milking each cow 3 times per day has a capacity of 7.5 cows per hour. This low capacity is convenient for lower-cost design of the robot arm and associated control system, as a window of several minutes is available for each cow and high-speed operation is not required.
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AMS units have been available commercially since the early 1990s, and have proved relatively successful in implementing the voluntary milking method. Many of the research and developments have taken place in the [[Netherlands]]. The most farms with AMS are located in the Netherlands, and [[Denmark]].
A new variation on the theme of robotic milking includes a similar robotic arm system, but coupled with a rotary platform, improving the number of cows that can be handled per robot arm.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.futuredairy.com.au/media/robotic_rotary11Nov2010/FD-Robotic%20Rotary%20Fact%20Sheet%20Web.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322164042/http://www.futuredairy.com.au/media/robotic_rotary11Nov2010/FD-Robotic%20Rotary%20Fact%20Sheet%20Web.pdf|archivedate=2012-03-22|
===Advantages===
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