About RoBUTCHER

The meat sector is one of the most important in EU agriculture, consisting of farmers, farmer cooperatives and abattoirs. One of the biggest challenges is maintaining quality. Therefore, automation is a key issue in meeting food security recommended by the EU. However, advanced robotics and automation systems are expensive, non-flexible and lack scalability and robustness, preventing their purchase and wide-scale application.

A new pioneering automation concept advanced by scientists in Norway and Denmark, the Meat Factory Cell (MFC), isn’t capable of autonomy. The EU-funded RoBUTCHER intends to develop a cognitive MFC with high autonomy properties using core robotic technologies based on AI and cognition. The project will provide small and medium-scale meat processors with the tools to overcome technical obstacles that prevent the adoption of robotic automation systems.

• Expected impacts

  • Improvement of the working environment and job quality within the sector
  • Robust, flexible and scalable production for the meat producers, regardless of volume
  • Greater social equality and inclusion (e.g. age and gender agnostic roles)
  • Enhancement of food hygiene and reduction of waste
  • Increased knowledge, tools and technology modules for delivering complex and highly variable robotic solutions
• Project partners

  • Norwegian University of Life Sciences
  • ByteMotion AB
  • Ciklum
  • Animalia, Norwegian Meat and Poultry Research Centre
  • Óbuda University (OU)
  • FACCSA
  • Danish Technological Institute (DTI)
  • Norsus
  • RobotNorge
  • Max Rubner Institut (MRI)
• Project participants at NMBU

For news, publications and more information, please visit the project website at robutcher.eu

• This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 871631.