Imagine a smart conveyor belt that can change its shape and curve locally to push, move, or sort items. Instead of using rigid robotic claws that might crush a fish or a piece of chicken, this surface acts like a living skin that gently guides the food. It uses origami-inspired folding and AI to handle soft things that are usually too tricky for robots.
The food industry relies heavily on manual labor for handling soft, irregular items like fish and poultry because traditional robots can only do simple pick-and-place tasks. This leads to higher production costs and labor challenges.
A morphing manipulation surface consisting of a modular electronics layer, an origami-based actuation layer, and a poro-elastic sensing skin, all controlled by AI.
If you are a seafood processor dealing with the labor-intensive task of descaling fish — this project developed a morphing mat that automates the process. This reduces the need for manual handling and improves food safety.
If you are a packaging plant dealing with the sorting and presentation of chicken — this project developed an AI-controlled surface that manipulates soft objects. This increases the number of high-skilled jobs while reducing manual labor.
If you are an automation provider dealing with the inability of robots to handle heterogeneous soft objects — this project developed a modular electronics and origami actuation layer. This allows for a radical departure from simple pick-and-place operations.
Based on available project data, specific pricing or implementation costs are not provided.
The project aims to transition the technology to a product ready for the food packing industry four years after the project ends.
Based on available project data, the project includes a clear exploitation plan and standardization, though specific licensing terms are not listed.
The project ends on 2026-09-30, with a goal to reach a market-ready product four years after that date.
The system uses a modular electronics layer for communication and power, designed to be deployed in actual production environments.
The consortium consists of 10 partners across 6 countries, showing a strong academic lean with 5 universities and 1 research center. However, the inclusion of 1 SME and 1 industry partner (10% industry ratio) indicates a focused effort to bridge the gap between lab research and commercial food processing applications.
Contact Universitetet i Kobenhavn in Denmark
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