Poultry processing robotics research to improve grip design

A four-year research project aims to develop a better robotic system for rehanging poultry carcasses after chilling in processing plants.

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close up of a meat industry interior
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A four-year research project aims to develop a better robotic system for rehanging poultry carcasses after chilling in processing plants.

“There’s a lot of fundamental challenges because the birds have different shapes, texture, etc.,” said Dongyi Wang, assistant professor of biological and agricultural engineering, Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

The project is funded by a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s National Robotics Initiative 3.0 and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

Automation in poultry processing

The poultry and meat industries, alongside several other markets, is currently experiencing a major labor shortage. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated these workforce issues. As a result, there has been growing interest in robotic and automated technology solutions that could help reduce labor shortages and improve worker safety.

Although there are automated and robotic systems in place already to handle slaughtering and evisceration, rehanging the raw chicken onto conveyer lines still requires manual labor. 

“The bird is actually quite heavy for robotic operations,” Wang said. 

However, it is difficult to recruit and retain skilled workers in processing plants. In part, this is due to the challenging environment. In addition, it requires a lot of repetitive motion that can cause musculoskeletal and other issues.

“This is why we think robots can help, not just in getting the job done, but can also actually help people,” he added.

Developing a better robotic hand

The team, which also includes researchers from Purdue University, plans to develop customized tactile sensory grippers and a high resolution, high-speed 3D imaging system to create robotic hand that can reliably pick up the chicken without any damage or negative impact on meat quality.

The 3D imaging system will be key in indicating predetermined parts of grasping the chicken carcasses.

When completed, the robot will be tested at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station’s pilot chicken plant.

“We want to build some fundamental knowledge for researchers,” Wang said, noting that a robot able to work with soft tissue could help a number of industries, including healthcare and food processing.

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