Augmented reality can increase slaughterhouse production yield

New research explores the potential impact augmented reality has on systems in slaughterhouses. Augmented Reality has provided lucrative new solutions in industrial quality assurance systems. Now, new research published in Cogent Food & Agriculture explores the potential impact of this new technology on systems in slaughterhouses.

Augmented Reality can increase slaughterhouse production yield, says new research

Augmented Reality has provided lucrative new solutions in industrial quality assurance systems. Now, new research published in Cogent Food & Agriculture explores the potential impact of this new technology on systems in slaughterhouses.

In an industry with a high turnover of labour, augmented reality systems could assist novice operators, preventing wastage and maintaining production yields. This exploratory study, Augmented Reality in the slaughterhouse - a future operation facility? examines the trimming and cutting of pork bellies.

'Due to biological variability between pigs there's often a variability in yield with this particular procedure,' said author Lars Bager Christensen, of the Danish Meat Institute. 'Using the correct raw material for each product reduces waste, and the application of AR to the cutting operation appears to increase the production yield.'

This pilot study is possibly the first time the use of this emerging technology has been explored in a meat industry context. 'One area of future research is the color coding. The choice of color vs. thickness scaling seems to be of importance for the operator,' said Morten Pol Nørregaard, one of the authors of the study.

The study also explores the challenges of using Smart Glasses in a production environment, and other issues that will need to be addressed in order to exploit the full potential of Augmented Reality in the slaughterhouse.