Augmented reality in the slaughterhouse - a future operation facility?

Abstract

The present case study sums up the results of an initial attempt to adapt the emerging technology of Augmented Reality (AR) for supporting routine operations performed in Danish slaughterhouse facilities. Our aim is to reveal the applicability of off-the-shelf components and programming platforms to the trimming and boning process for pork bellies. The AR technology has demonstrated lucrative applications in industrial QA procedures and even farm management applications appear to benefit from applying the technology. With the ever-increasing turnover of labour in the meat industry, we investigate here the application of AR-assisted production procedures as a potential management tool and support tool to assist a novice operator in a specific trimming operation. The case study concerns the trimming and cutting of pork bellies, a widely used and versatile procedure in the Danish pork meat industry. Many similar belly products made from similar raw materials are exported to specific customers and markets. Due to biological variability between pigs, final products are produced with variability in yield, despite the fact that the final product qualities are similar. The best management option is to use the correct raw material for each product, thus generating fewer by-products and increasing the volume/weight of the final product. The application of AR to the cutting operation appears to increase the production yield; however, the operators need training in order to benefit fully from the efficiency and capacity of the application rather than adopting the standard procedure of oral communication of instructions.

Keywords

• augmented reality (ar)
• binocular
• creator
• error reduction
• food production
• junaio
• monocle
• operator augmentation
• smart glasses
• trimming
• yield