Robots are good at a number of automated tasks, but deboning meat isn’t one of them. This work has traditionally required human workers who are able to discern and work around bone placement and variations in size and shape of the meat. An easy task for humans, but not so for a robot.
That said, the HAMDAS-R robot, manufactured by Japanese company Mayekawa Electric, represents a major step forward in how robots can be used to automate working on irregularly shaped objects. This automatic deboning system for ham is capable of achieving a higher yield than humans. As a result, with a HAMDAS-R installed, the work that would normally take a team of 20 humans now only requires ten.
In addition to increasing productivity and efficiency in the processing plant, HAMDAS-R also minimizes the number of humans touching meat, which provides a more sanitary environment.
(Via Neatorama)