Milking robots were first introduced in Europe in 1990 and in Canada in 1999. Currently it is estimated that about 15% of dairy farms across Canada utilize this technology. While some systems have been installed in retrofitted barns, others have had new housing systems designed to maximize their potential for improved animal and labor efficiency. Advocates of robotic milking point to labor savings of up to 30%, the ability to easily segregate milk from cows with non-marketable milk, and the welfare advantages of allowing the cows to determine their own milking frequency. Detractors suggest that the milk from robot milked herds is of inferior quality (higher SCC and bacteria counts) and may contain more free fatty acids due to more aggressive milk handling than milk from farms using traditional milking systems. A recent review of milk quality data from over 3,600 dairy farms in Ontario, Canada, where almost 11% of farms milked with robotic milking systems were compared with parlor and pipeline milked herds, suggested that at least some of these milk quality concerns may be warranted. While raw milk quality penalties for SCC did not differ among the systems, robotic herds had more penalties for elevated bacteria counts, freezing point, and inhibitors. A more detailed analysis is currently underway to better describe and interpret these milk quality differences and to determine if there are important differences in free fatty acid levels in milk from robot milked herds.