Bots for kebabs

Consumer demand is strong for grilled kebabs — meat and vegetable cubes on skewers — that require highly labor-intensive tasks and complex hand-eye coordination. This repetitive, low-skilled job of producing kebabs is getting harder to fill, and even the existing semi-autonomous skewering systems require human handling and oversight. Food processing companies are increasingly recognizing the need to fully automate this process. 

Scientists at the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station are working to make this vision a reality — literally, as it relies on computer vision. Scientists have developed and tested a novel, fully autonomous skewering system prototype in collaboration with Michigan State University. The complex mechanical and computerized system consists of a series of conveyor belts and tracks that move and corral individual pieces, placing them into custom-designed cups perfectly aligned for skewering. A camera-based system locates and monitors the pieces through the initial steps, and a machine vision system guides the final steps. 

The prototype lays the foundation for a commercial-grade model that could help the food industry produce a popular value-added product, improving the bottom line and meeting consumer demand. The technology would also benefit farmers and producers of beef, chicken and seafood who supply the raw agricultural commodities.

Mississippi Agricultural & Forestry Experiment Station | Project supported by state appropriations; USDA competitive funds.