Introduction to Virtual Reality in Poultry Processing
The poultry processing industry is facing a big challenge find reliable labor, resulting in an increased adoption of automation and robotics. However, there are still tasks that require human intervention, and that is where virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are available in. According to Colin Usher, a research scientist on the Georgia Tech Research Institute, "Good, reliable labor is getting harder and harder to return by. This is a key reason the industry is adopting as much automation as they’ll. However, there are still tasks that robotics and automation has not solved which are still fully manual."
Bridging the Gap with Virtual Reality
Usher’s team has developed a virtual reality-based robotic control system that has the potential to bridge the gap between fully manual and fully autonomous operation. This system utilizes human-in-the-loop decision making, allowing humans to make high-fidelity decisions that the systems lack. The proposed prototype solution uses a virtual reality interface to attach a human operator with a factory robot designed to handle loading and transfer operations inside a poultry processing plant.
How it Works
The prototype system involves a robot on the processing line and a user wearing VR situated in a close-by room. Sensors enable the user to experience a virtual workspace and supply input to the robot, allowing it to routinely pick and cargo. By allowing humans to make decisions that the systems lack, the team can enable tasks currently unapproachable in robotics. The ultimate goal is to generate artificial intelligence-based approaches towards full-automation.
The Future of Workforce
Usher envisions enabling a brand new sort of workforce: a gig-economy of labor, where users can virtually provide key missing pieces of data robots have to enable them to successfully perform tasks on processing lines. This approach can take the industry a step further, allowing for crowd-sourced human decision making together with data streams.
Attend the 2023 Poultry Tech Summit
The 2023 Poultry Tech Summit, scheduled for November 6-8 on the Hilton Atlanta Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, will feature Usher’s presentation on the proposed prototype solution. The summit focuses on the transition of progressive technologies into industrial applications to advance the poultry industry. Attendees can expect groundbreaking innovation and insightful presentations on recent prospective solutions and next-generation technologies. Registration for the event is now open, with early bird savings available until September twenty ninth.
Conclusion
The use of virtual reality and augmented reality in poultry processing has the potential to revolutionize the industry. By bridging the gap between fully manual and fully autonomous operation, the industry can increase efficiency and productivity. The 2023 Poultry Tech Summit will provide a platform for industry-changing innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs, technology experts, investors, and leading poultry producers to return together and discuss the newest advancements in the sector. With the potential to enable a brand new sort of workforce and generate artificial intelligence-based approaches towards full-automation, the longer term of poultry processing looks promising.
