Why robot butchers increasingly have the cutting edge

Algorithms are increasingly being used in industrial robotics, especially in sectors with high variability and where precision is essential.

Yet as recently as the end of last year some meat companies were still saying that their sector lagged in the incorporation of robotics, and was still overwhelmingly dependent on manual labor for most processes. However, within months, we are already beginning to see the use of computer vision and machine learning to automate butchering operations for cows, pigs and chickens (open link here), faster and more accurately in some cases than can be done manually.

Slaughterhouse work is not only particularly hard and unpleasant, it also requires a great deal of experience to be truly productive, which is a problem considering that it is generally an industry subject to high staff turnover. When it comes to cutting up an animal, leaving a piece of meat stuck to the bone due to an inaccurate cut generates an underutilization that, as it accumulates, can result in significant losses. Traditionally, these operations could only be carried out by hand, mainly because no two animals are alike in terms of size, weight, specific characteristics, etc., so that until very recently, entrusting the task to a robot usually meant less meat utilization.