GEORGIA TECH RESEARCH INSTITUTE, USA. Researchers led by Gary McMurray of GTRI’s Food Processing Technology Division has created a prototype of a robot that could debone a chicken with increased yield. 

The Intelligent Cutting and Deboning System robot prototype was created with a built in 3D vision system that aid in the cut and debone process. It uses custom algorithms and other data to reduce bone fragments. It also has an ideal cutting path creating a calibrated reference frame derived from external measurements collected from statistics. However, in order to adjust to the variability of each bird, it has a sensing and actuation system to adapt.

Physically, other parts of the system include a fixed two-degree-of-freedom cutting robot for planar cuts. The bird is placed on a six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm that allows cutting to the desired position by placing it within the vision system.

The prototype will play a big role in food safety by the reduction of bone fragments in fillets. It can also increase the yield of bird meat.