Meat processing system and meat processing method

Abstract

The present application pertains to a meat processing system for processing a workpiece which is bone-in meat including ribs. The meat processing system is provided with: a work space on which the workpiece can be placed with the ribs facing upward; a restraining unit for restraining the workpiece; a cutting unit having a linear blade for cutting the workpiece; a cutting line determination unit for determining a cutting line on the basis of shape information acquired in advance; and a cutting unit control unit for controlling the cutting unit so as to cut the workpiece in accordance with the cutting line. As the cutting line, a lateral cutting line for cutting the workpiece along the lateral direction is determined for each of a plurality of zones defined along the extending direction of the ribs on the lower side of the ribs with respect to the workpiece placed on the work space. The cutting unit is controlled so as to cut the workpiece a plurality of times by performing, for each of the plurality of zones, a lateral cutting operation in which the linear blade is operated along the respective lateral cutting line.

Description

Meat processing system and meat processing method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a meat processing system and a meat processing method.

[0002] In a meat processing process using bone-in meat including ribs as a workpiece, a processing process including a step of cutting a portion including ribs from the workpiece using a cutting tool such as a knife may be performed. Conventionally, this step has been performed manually by an operator, but since it is a skilled operation that depends on the skills of the operator, variations in processing quality and processing volume are likely to occur. In addition, since the workpiece needs to be handled in a low-temperature environment, it is a heavy burden on the operator to engage in work for a long time in such a low-temperature environment. Also, in manual work using a cutting tool, there are problems such as the occurrence of cutting tool scratches on the processed workpiece and a decrease in yield due to cutting widely so that no cartilage remains around the bone.

[0003] In order to solve the problems in the conventional work by an operator's hands, automation of work using a meat processing system has been studied. For example, in Patent Document 1, by analyzing image data obtained by imaging a workpiece that is bone-in meat including ribs, a cutting line corresponding to the shape of the workpiece is determined, and the workpiece is cut by operating a cutting tool along the cutting line, thereby disclosing an example of a meat processing system in which the cutting work is automated.

[0004] U.S. Patent No. 5,902,177

[0005] In the above Patent Document 1, the cutting line is determined based on the image data of the outer shape of the workpiece. Therefore, the position of the bone inside the workpiece cannot be accurately grasped, and a large cut is made along the cutting line considering a margin for the bone, resulting in a low yield. Also, the cutting operation of cutting the target portion from the workpiece is completed in one cutting operation for the determination line determined based on the image data. Therefore, the torque applied to the cutting tool during cutting and the torque for restraining the workpiece during cutting become relatively large, increasing the possibility of occurrence of defects such as cutting defects and the risk of deterioration of the cutting quality.

[0006] Furthermore, if such workpiece restraint and cutting operations are attempted using robotic arms capable of flexible movement, the large torque required, as mentioned above, would necessitate a large-scale configuration for each robotic arm. In particular, when performing cutting operations while restraining a workpiece from the workspace, it is necessary to coordinate the robotic arm for restraining the workpiece with the robotic arm for performing the cutting operation. However, if these robotic arms become large in scale, there is a risk of interference between them.

[0007] At least one embodiment of this disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a meat processing system and a meat processing method that can process bone-in meat, including ribs, with good cutting quality while keeping the size of the apparatus down.

[0008] A meat processing system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is a meat processing system for processing a workpiece which is bone-in meat including ribs, in order to solve the above problems, comprising: a work space on which the workpiece can be placed with the ribs facing upward; a restraint unit for restraining the workpiece with respect to the work space; a cutting unit having a straight blade for cutting the workpiece; a cutting line determination unit for determining a cutting line relating to the workpiece based on shape information acquired in advance for the workpiece; and a cutting unit control unit for controlling the cutting unit to cut the workpiece according to the cutting line, wherein the cutting line determination unit determines a lateral cutting line for each of a plurality of zones defined along the direction of extension of the ribs on the lower side of the ribs with respect to the workpiece placed on the work space, and the cutting unit control unit controls the cutting unit to cut the workpiece multiple times by performing a lateral cutting operation for each of the plurality of zones, which involves operating the straight blade along the lateral cutting line.

[0009] According to at least one embodiment of this disclosure, a meat processing system and a meat processing method can be provided that can process bone-in meat, including ribs, with good cutting quality while keeping the size of the apparatus down.

[0010] This is a schematic diagram of a workpiece W, which is the object to be processed in a meat processing system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. This is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of a meat processing system according to one embodiment. This is a block diagram of the control device of Figure 2. This is a flowchart of a meat processing method carried out by the meat processing system of Figure 2. This is a flowchart of the control sequence of the restraining operation and cutting operation in step S106 of Figure 4. This is an explanatory diagram corresponding to step S201 of Figure 5. This is an explanatory diagram corresponding to step S202 of Figure 5. This is an explanatory diagram corresponding to step S203 of Figure 5. This is an explanatory diagram corresponding to step S204 of Figure 5. This is an explanatory diagram corresponding to step S205 of Figure 5. This is an explanatory diagram corresponding to step S206 of Figure 5. This is a schematic diagram showing the first cutting line to the third cutting line used in the control sequence of Figure 5. This is a modified example of Figure 7.

[0011] Hereinafter, several embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc., of the configurations described as embodiments or shown in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, but are merely illustrative examples.

[0012] First, with reference to Figure 1, the workpiece W, which is the target of processing in the meat processing system 1 according to at least one embodiment of this disclosure, will be described. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the workpiece W, which is the target of processing in the meat processing system 1 according to at least one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0013] Workpiece W is, for example, bone-in meat including ribs, such as a pig, cattle, or sheep carcass that is to be used as meat. Workpiece W has a first surface 4 on the side with the ribs 2 and a second surface 6 on the opposite side of the first surface 4. In a region 8 of the first surface 4, a plurality of ribs 2 extend in a predetermined direction, and the ends of the ribs 2 are embedded along their edges 8a. On the side of workpiece W facing the second surface 6 as seen from the ribs 2, there is a meat portion 9 that will be separated from the ribs 2 in the processing treatment described later.

[0014] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of a meat processing system 1 according to one embodiment, and Figure 3 is a block diagram of the control device 100 in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, the meat processing system 1 comprises a work space S on which the workpiece W to be processed is placed, a first robot device 10, a second robot device 20, and a third robot device 30 arranged to surround the work space S, and a control device 100.

[0015] The workspace S has a workbench 3 (for example, a cutting board) on which a workpiece W can be placed. The workpiece W is placed on the workbench 3 with the second surface 6 facing downwards and the first surface 4, on which the ribs 2 are exposed, facing upwards. Although not shown in Figure 2, the workspace S is also provided with an input conveyor for bringing in workpieces W before processing to the workbench 3, and an output conveyor for removing workpieces W after processing has been completed on the workbench 3.

[0016] An imaging device 40 for acquiring shape information of a workpiece W is provided in the workspace S. The imaging device 40 is configured to acquire shape information regarding the external shape of the workpiece W after it has been brought into the workspace S and before the workpiece W has been processed. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the imaging device 40 is, for example, a three-dimensional camera 40a. The three-dimensional camera 40a can acquire shape information regarding the external shape of the workpiece W by imaging the workpiece W.

[0017] Furthermore, the meat processing system 1 may be equipped with an X-ray camera capable of acquiring shape information regarding the internal shape of the workpiece W (such as the shape of the ribs 2 embedded in the meat portion 9), in addition to shape information regarding the external shape of the workpiece W that can be acquired by the three-dimensional camera 40a. In this case, the X-ray camera may be provided in the imaging device 40 together with the three-dimensional camera 40a, but in the meat processing system 1 of this embodiment, it is provided as an external device to the imaging device 40.

[0018] The first robot device 10 is a cutting robot device that functions as a cutting unit for cutting a workpiece W in a workspace S, and has a first robot arm 12 configured as a 6-axis robot and a straight blade 14, which is a tool mounted on the tip of the first robot arm 12. Based on a control signal from the control device 100 described later, the first robot arm 12 can perform cutting work on the workpiece W in the workspace S according to a predetermined cutting line L by adjusting the position and angle of the straight blade 14 mounted on its tip.

[0019] The straight blade 14 mounted at the tip of the first robot arm 12 has a substantially straight blade surface. As described above, the position and angle of the straight blade 14 are controlled based on control signals from the control device 100 received by the first robot device 10, enabling accurate cutting of the workpiece W according to a specified cutting line L. Cutting operations using such a straight blade 14, when combined with the flexible movement of the robot arm, are advantageous in improving yield by enabling cutting operations according to various cutting lines L compared to cases where a curved blade surface is used.

[0020] The second robot device 20 is a restraining robot device that functions as a restraining unit for restraining a workpiece W in the workspace S, and has a second robot arm 22 configured as a 6-axis robot and a restraining tool 24 which is a tool mounted on the tip of the second robot arm 22. The second robot arm 22 can perform a restraining operation by pressing the restraining position R set on the workpiece W using the restraining tool 24 mounted on its tip, based on a control signal from the control device 100 described later.

[0021] The third robot device 30, together with the aforementioned second robot device 20, is a restraining robot device that functions as a restraining unit for restraining a workpiece W in the workspace S. It has a third robot arm 32 configured as a 6-axis robot and a restraining tool 34 mounted on the tip of the third robot arm 32. The third robot arm 32 can perform a restraining operation by using the restraining tool 34 mounted on its tip to press the workpiece W to a set restraining position R based on a control signal from the control device 100 described later.

[0022] Furthermore, although the second robot device 20 and the third robot device 30 both function as restraint units, their configurations may be identical or at least partially different. In this embodiment, as will be described later, the second robot device 20 and the third robot device 30 restrain different positions on the workpiece W, and therefore each has a restraint tool with a shape suitable for the respective restraint position R. That is, the restraint tool 24 mounted on the second robot device 20 and the restraint tool 34 mounted on the third robot device 30 are different from each other.

[0023] The control device 100 functions as a control unit for controlling the aforementioned components of the meat processing system 1, and is composed of a computer consisting of, for example, a central processing unit, memory, external storage device, input device, and output device. The control device 100 also has a control program pre-installed for implementing the control method described later, and various functions are realized when this control program is executed. As shown in Figure 3, the control device 100 includes an image data acquisition unit 102, an image data analysis unit 104, a cutting line determination unit 106, a constraint position determination unit 108, a cutting unit control unit 110, and a constraint unit control unit 112.

[0024] The image data acquisition unit 102 is configured to acquire image data from the imaging device 40. As mentioned above, the imaging device 40 has a three-dimensional camera 40a, and the image data acquisition unit 102 acquires the imaging results of the three-dimensional camera 40a as image data. Furthermore, as mentioned above, if the meat processing system 1 is further equipped with an X-ray camera, the image data acquired by the X-ray camera is also acquired by the image data acquisition unit 102.

[0025] The image data analysis unit 104 is configured to identify shape information relating to the workpiece W in the workspace S by analyzing the image data acquired by the image data acquisition unit 102. For example, from the image data acquired from the three-dimensional camera 40a, information regarding the external shape of the workpiece W is obtained as shape information, and from the image data acquired from the X-ray camera, information regarding the internal shape of the workpiece W is obtained as shape information. Based on this information regarding the external and internal shape of the workpiece W, the image data analysis unit 104 can obtain the shape information of the workpiece W necessary to determine the cutting line L and the constraint position R.

[0026] The cutting line determination unit 106 is configured to determine a cutting line L to be set for the workpiece W based on the shape information obtained by the image data analysis unit 104. As described above, the shape information includes information about the external and internal shapes of the workpiece W, so the cutting line determination unit 106 identifies the three-dimensional positional relationship of the ribs 2 in the workpiece W based on the shape information and determines a cutting line L to separate a portion including the ribs 2 from the workpiece W.

[0027] The constraint position determination unit 108 is configured to determine the constraint position R of the workpiece W when performing a cutting operation according to the cutting line L determined by the cutting line determination unit 106. The constraint position R is determined as a position suitable for stabilizing the posture of the workpiece W on the workbench 3 when performing a cutting operation according to the cutting line L. Such a constraint position R may be determined based on shape information obtained by the image data analysis unit 104, similar to the cutting line L described above, or it may be determined based on the cutting line L determined by the cutting line determination unit 106. In the latter case, the cutting line L and the constraint position R corresponding to the cutting line L are linked to each other and prepared in advance as correlation data, and the constraint position determination unit 108 can determine the constraint position R corresponding to the cutting line L determined by the cutting line determination unit 106 by referring to this correlation data.

[0028] The cutting unit control unit 110 is configured to control the first robot device 10, which is a cutting unit. The cutting unit control unit 110 generates a control signal to perform a cutting operation in accordance with the cutting line L determined by the cutting line determination unit 106, using a straight blade 14 mounted on the tip of the first robot arm 12 in the first robot device 10. This control signal converts the coordinate information defining the cutting line L into parameters relating to the position and orientation of the straight blade 14, and is generated as a signal to drive the first robot arm 12 to realize these parameters. The control signal thus generated is transmitted to the first robot device 10, thereby enabling the control of the first robot arm 12 so that the cutting operation is performed in accordance with the cutting line L.

[0029] The restraint unit control unit 112 is configured to control the second robot device 20 and the third robot device 30, which are restraint units. Using the restraint tool 24 mounted on the tip of the second robot arm 22 of the second robot device 20, or the restraint tool 34 mounted on the tip of the third robot arm 32 of the third robot device 30, the control unit generates a control signal to realize a restraint operation to restrain the workpiece W to the workbench 3 at the restraint position R determined by the restraint position determination unit 108. This control signal converts the coordinate information defining the restraint position R into parameters relating to the position and orientation of the restraint tool 24 or 34, and is generated as a signal to drive the second robot arm 22 or the third robot arm 32 to realize these parameters. The control signal thus generated is transmitted to the second robot device 20 or the third robot device 30, thereby enabling the control of the second robot arm 22 or the third robot arm 32 to restrain the workpiece W at the restraint position R.

[0030] Next, a meat processing method carried out by the meat processing system 1 having the above configuration will be described. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the meat processing method carried out by the meat processing system 1 of Figure 2.

[0031] First, the imaging device 40 is used to image the workpiece W that has been brought onto the workbench 3 in the workspace S (step S101). In step S101, the image data from the three-dimensional camera 40a of the imaging device 40 is used to image the workpiece W before a series of processing steps are performed (however, the workpiece W may be pre-processed as appropriate). In this embodiment, the internal shape of the workpiece W is imaged by the X-ray camera before it is brought into the workspace S.

[0032] Next, the image data acquisition unit 102 acquires image data from the imaging device 40 (step S102). This image data includes not only image data relating to the external shape of the workpiece W captured by the three-dimensional camera 40a of the imaging device 40 in step S101, but also image data relating to the internal shape of the workpiece W captured by the X-ray camera in the stage before it is brought into the work space S.

[0033] Next, the image data analysis unit 104 obtains shape information of the workpiece W by analyzing the image data acquired in step S102 (step S103). As mentioned above, the image data includes image data captured by the three-dimensional camera 40a and image data captured by the X-ray camera. By analyzing this image data, shape information containing information about the external and internal shapes of the workpiece W can be obtained.

[0034] Next, the cutting line determination unit 106 determines the cutting line L based on the shape information acquired in step S103 (step S104). A specific example of the cutting line L will be described later, but based on the external and internal shapes of the workpiece W identified based on the shape information, the cutting line L for separating the part including the ribs 2 from the workpiece W is determined.

[0035] The determination of the cutting line L in step S104 may be performed using a predictive model for predicting the cutting line L based on shape information. In this case, the predictive model can be constructed, for example, by machine learning using a large amount of data defining the cutting line L corresponding to the shape information as training data. The cutting line determination unit 106 can suitably determine the cutting line L corresponding to the shape information by inputting the shape information acquired in step S103 to the predictive model.

[0036] Next, the constraint position determination unit 108 determines the constraint position R corresponding to the cutting line L determined in step S104 (step S105). A specific example of the constraint position R will be described later, but it is determined as the constraint position R necessary to stably maintain the posture of the workpiece W when the cutting operation is performed according to the cutting line L.

[0037] The determination of the constraint position R in step S105 may be performed using a predictive model for predicting the constraint position R based on the cutting line L. In this case, the predictive model can be constructed, for example, by machine learning using a large amount of data defining a constraint position R suitable for the cutting line L as training data. The constraint position determination unit 108 can suitably determine the constraint position R corresponding to the cutting line L by inputting the cutting line L determined in step S104 to the predictive model.

[0038] Next, the cutting unit control unit 110 controls the first robot device 10, which is the cutting unit, so that the cutting operation is performed according to the cutting line L determined in step S104. At the same time, the restraint unit control unit 112 controls the second robot device 20 and the third robot device 30, which are the restraint unit, so that the workpiece W is restrained to the workbench 3 at the restraint position R determined in step S105 (step S106). As a result, the workpiece W in the workspace S is stably restrained to the workbench 3 at the restraint position R, and the cutting operation is performed according to the cutting line L, thereby automatically separating the part of the workpiece W that includes the ribs 2.

[0039] The workpiece W, after the cutting process is complete, is then transported outside by an unshown transport conveyor (step S107).

[0040] In this meat processing method, step S106 involves a restraining operation that restrains the workpiece W to the workbench 3 at the restraining position R determined in step S105, and a cutting operation that cuts the workpiece W according to the cutting line L determined in step S104, performed in cooperation with each other. In this embodiment, such restraining and cutting operations are performed sequentially multiple times according to a predetermined control sequence.

[0041] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the control sequence of the restraining and cutting operations in step S106 of Figure 4, Figures 6A to 6F are explanatory diagrams corresponding to each step in Figure 5, and Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the first cutting line L1 to the third cutting line L3 used in the control sequence of Figure 5.

[0042] First, as shown in FIG. 6A, the second robot device 20, which is a restraint unit, uses a restraint tool 24 mounted at the tip of the second robot arm 22 to restrain the first restraint position R1 determined as the restraint position on the workpiece W by pressing it against the workbench 3 (step S201). The first restraint position R1 is a position outside the region 8 having the rib 2 on the first surface 4 of the workpiece W, and is determined as a position that can preferably prevent the posture of the workpiece W from being disturbed when the first cutting operation is performed according to the first cutting line L1 in the subsequent step S202. In FIG. 6A, as an example of the first restraint position R1, a position slightly away from the region 8 having the rib 2 and a position that is less likely to interfere with the first robot device 10 and the third robot device 30 is illustrated.

[0043] Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 6B, in a state where the first restraint position R1 of the workpiece W is restrained by the second robot device 20 in step S201, the first robot device 10 is operated according to the first cutting line L1, whereby the first cutting operation is performed (step S202). The first cutting line L1 is defined along the edge 8a of the region 8 having the rib 2 on the first surface of the workpiece W and in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the rib 2. In the first cutting operation, the straight blade 14 mounted at the tip of the first robot arm 12 is operated so that the straight blade 14 cuts into the first cutting line L1 to a predetermined depth.

[0044] Note that the depth of the cut in the first cutting operation is determined based on the shape information, and is set, for example, to reach a position deeper than the rib 2 from the surface of the first surface of the workpiece W.

[0045] Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 6C, the third robot device 30, which is a restraint unit, uses a restraint tool 34 mounted at the tip of the third robot arm 32 to restrain the second restraint position R2 determined as the restraint position on the workpiece W by pressing it against the workbench 3 (step S203). The second restraint position R2 is determined as a position that can preferably prevent the posture of the workpiece W from being disturbed when the second cutting operation is performed in the subsequent step S204 by pressing the restraint tool 34 from above in the region 8 having the rib 2 on the first surface 4 of the workpiece W.

[0046] At the time of performing step S203, the workpiece W is still in a state of being restrained by the first robot device 10 at the first restraint position R1 in step S201, and is further restrained by the second robot device 20 at the second restraint position R2. That is, in step S203, the workpiece W is restrained by the second robot device 20 and the third robot device 30 at two points, namely the first restraint position R1 and the second restraint position R2, respectively.

[0047] Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 6D, with the first restraint position R1 and the second restraint position R2 of the workpiece W restrained by the second robot device 20 and the third robot device 30 in step S203, the first robot device 10 is operated according to the second cutting line L2, whereby the second cutting operation is performed (step S204). The second cutting operation is realized by inserting the straight blade 14 under the rib 2 from one side surface of the workpiece W and controlling the first robot arm 12 so that the cutting edge thereof passes through the second cutting line L2.

[0048] As schematically shown in FIG. 7, the second cutting line L2 is determined as a horizontal cutting line for cutting the workpiece W horizontally in the first zone Z1, which is on the front side as viewed from the side (the right side in FIG. 7) of the workpiece W where the straight blade 14 intrudes in the second cutting operation, among the first zone Z1 and the second zone Z2 defined along the extending direction of the rib 2 under the rib 2 of the workpiece W. In the second cutting operation, a cut is made horizontally under the rib 2 in the first zone Z1 by operating the straight blade 14 mounted at the tip of the first robot arm 12 according to the second cutting line L2.

[0049] Next, as shown in Figure 6E, the third robot device 30, which is a restraint unit, uses a restraint tool 34 mounted on the tip of the third robot arm 32 to restrain the workpiece W at the third restraint position R3, which has been determined as the restraint position, by pressing it against the workbench 3 (step S205). In other words, in step S205, in response to the change in the cutting state of the workpiece W due to the second cutting operation in step S204, the restraint position by the restraint tool 34 mounted on the tip of the third robot arm 32 is changed from the aforementioned second restraint position R2 to the third restraint position R3.

[0050] This change in the constraint position is due to the change in the cutting state of the workpiece W as a result of the second cutting operation being performed in step S204. The third constraint position R3 is selected as a position that can suitably stabilize the posture of the workpiece W when the third cutting operation is performed in the subsequent step S206 on the workpiece W after the second cutting operation has been performed.

[0051] Step S205 may be omitted if necessary. In this case, the restraint position by the third robot device 30 remains the same as the second restraint position R2 during the second and third cutting operations and is not changed. As a result, the processing steps are reduced, which can suitably improve the processing efficiency of the workpiece W in the meat processing system 1.

[0052] Next, as shown in Figure 6F, in step S203, with the first constraint position R1 and the third constraint position R3 of the workpiece W constrained by the second robot device 20 and the third robot device 30, the first robot device 10 is operated according to the third cutting line L3 to perform the third cutting operation (step S206). The third cutting operation is achieved by reinserting the straight blade 14 into the cut formed in the second cutting operation from one side of the workpiece W, and controlling the first robot arm 12 so that the tip of the blade passes through the third cutting line L3.

[0053] As shown in Figure 7, the third cutting line L3 is determined as a transverse cutting line for cutting the workpiece W laterally in the second zone Z2, which is located further back than the first zone Z1 that was cut in the second cutting operation, among the first zone Z1 and second zone Z2 defined along the direction of extension of the ribs on the lower side of the rib 2 of the workpiece W. In the third cutting operation, the straight blade 14 mounted on the tip of the first robot arm 12 is operated according to the third cutting line L3, so that the straight blade 14 is reinserted into the cut in the first zone Z1 formed in the second cutting operation, and a cut along the transverse direction is made on the lower side of the rib 2 in the second zone Z2, which is located further back than the first zone Z1.

[0054] In the second and third cutting operations, the linear blade 14 is operated multiple times according to the second and third cutting lines L2 and L3 determined for each first zone Z1 and second zone Z2 defined along the extension direction of the rib 2 on the underside of the rib 2. As a result, the torque applied to the linear blade 14 is reduced compared to when only one horizontal cutting operation is performed, thus allowing for optimal and stable cut quality. Furthermore, by reducing the torque required for the cutting operation, it becomes possible to miniaturize the first robot device 10, which is the cutting unit.

[0055] Furthermore, during the second and third cutting operations, the workpiece W is restrained using both the second robot device 20 and the third robot device 30. This reduces the torque required for the restraining operation on a single robot device, allowing both the second robot device 20 and the third robot device 30 to be miniaturized. As a result, by miniaturizing each robot device in the meat processing system 1, the overall size of the system can be kept compact, and interference between each robot device during operation can be effectively avoided.

[0056] In the above-described embodiment, the example shows a case where the lateral cutting operation performed on the workpiece W is divided into a second cutting operation and a third cutting operation corresponding to the first zone Z1 and the second zone Z2, respectively. However, it may be further subdivided into many more cutting operations. For example, when the lateral cutting operation is performed along a curved cutting line that follows the ribs 2 of the workpiece W, a cutting line may be set for each zone further divided along the cutting line.

[0057] Figure 8 is a modified version of Figure 7. In this modified version, the second cutting line L2 is further divided into a first half cutting line L2a and a second half cutting line L2b, and the third cutting line L3 is further divided into a first half cutting line L3a and a second half cutting line L3b. This makes it possible to handle situations where the workpiece W contains curved bone, making it difficult to set straight second and third cutting lines L2 and L3. This can be achieved by setting each cutting line to correspond to zones Z1a and Z1b, which are subdivisions of the first zone Z1, and zones Z2a and Z2b, which are subdivisions of the second zone Z2, and then repeating the cutting operation in multiple steps.

[0058] As described above, according to each embodiment, the workpiece W, which is bone-in meat including the ribs 2, is placed on the work space S with the ribs 2 facing upwards. The workpiece W on the work space S is restrained by at least one of the second robot device 20 or the third robot device 30, which are restraining units, and is cut by operating the straight blade 14 of the first robot device 10, which is a cutting unit, according to the cutting line. In this cutting operation, by operating the straight blade 14 according to the cutting line determined based on the shape information of the workpiece W acquired in advance, it is possible to achieve good cut quality that takes into account individual differences in the shape of the workpiece compared to using a curved blade. Furthermore, as a cutting operation, by performing a lateral cutting operation multiple times, in which the straight blade 14 is operated according to a lateral cutting line determined for each zone defined along the extension direction of the ribs 2 on the underside of the ribs 2, the torque applied to the straight blade 14 is reduced compared to when the lateral cutting operation is performed only once, so that the cut quality can be suitably stabilized. Furthermore, by reducing the torque required for the cutting operation, the cutting unit can be miniaturized, resulting in a compact configuration, and interference with surrounding components such as the restraint unit can be effectively avoided during the operation of the cutting unit.

[0059] Furthermore, it is possible to replace the components in the above-described embodiments with well-known components as appropriate, without departing from the spirit of this disclosure, and the above-described embodiments may also be combined as appropriate.

[0060] The contents described in each of the above embodiments can be understood, for example, as follows:

[0061] (1) A meat processing system according to one embodiment is a meat processing system for processing a workpiece which is bone-in meat including ribs, comprising: a work space on which the workpiece can be placed with the ribs facing upward; a restraint unit for restraining the workpiece with respect to the work space; a cutting unit having a straight blade for cutting the workpiece; a cutting line determination unit for determining a cutting line relating to the workpiece based on shape information acquired in advance for the workpiece; and a cutting unit control unit for controlling the cutting unit to cut the workpiece according to the cutting line, wherein the cutting line determination unit determines a lateral cutting line for each of a plurality of zones defined on the lower side of the ribs along the direction of extension of the ribs with respect to the workpiece placed on the work space, and the cutting unit control unit controls the cutting unit to cut the workpiece multiple times by performing a lateral cutting operation for each of the plurality of zones, which involves operating the straight blade along the lateral cutting line.

[0062] According to the embodiment of (1) above, the workpiece, which is bone-in meat including ribs, is placed on the work space with the ribs facing upwards. The workpiece on the work space is restrained by a restraining unit, and is cut by operating the straight blade of the cutting unit according to the cutting line. In this cutting operation, by operating the straight blade according to the cutting line determined based on the shape information of the workpiece acquired in advance, it is possible to achieve good cut quality that takes into account individual differences in the shape of the workpiece, compared to using a curved blade. Furthermore, as part of the cutting operation, by performing a lateral cutting operation multiple times, in which the straight blade is operated according to the lateral cutting line determined for each zone defined along the extension direction of the ribs on the underside of the ribs, the torque applied to the straight blade is reduced compared to performing the lateral cutting operation only once, so that the cut quality can be suitably stabilized. In addition, by reducing the torque required for the cutting operation, it is possible to miniaturize the cutting unit, so a compact configuration can be realized, and interference with surrounding components such as the restraining unit can be suitably avoided when the cutting unit is in operation.

[0063] (2) In another embodiment, in the embodiment of (1) above, the cutting unit control unit converts the coordinate information defining the cutting line into parameters relating to the position and orientation of the straight blade in the cutting unit, and controls the control unit to realize the parameters.

[0064] According to the embodiment of (2) above, by converting coordinate information defining the cutting line into parameters relating to the position and orientation of the linear blade, a cutting operation following the cutting line can be suitably realized by controlling the cutting unit.

[0065] (3) In other embodiments, in the embodiment of (1) or (2) above, the restraining unit restrains the workpiece on the side opposite to the straight blade when viewed from the lateral cutting line during the lateral cutting operation.

[0066] According to the embodiment of (3) above, when performing a lateral cutting operation, the workpiece placed on the work space is constrained to a position opposite to the straight blade when viewed from the lateral cutting line. This effectively avoids interference between the cutting unit and the restraining unit, while stabilizing the posture of the workpiece during the lateral cutting operation and obtaining good cutting quality.

[0067] (4) In other embodiments, in any one embodiment of (1) to (3) above, the plurality of zones include a first zone located on the near side when viewed from the side from which the straight blade enters the workpiece during the lateral cutting operation, and a second zone located behind the first zone, and the cutting unit control unit controls the cutting unit to perform a first lateral cutting operation, which is the lateral cutting operation along the lateral cutting line determined for the first zone, and then perform a second lateral cutting operation, which is the lateral cutting operation along the lateral cutting line determined for the second zone.

[0068] According to the embodiment of (4) above, the lateral cutting operation performed on the workpiece is carried out multiple times, spanning a first lateral cutting operation and a second lateral cutting operation. In the first lateral cutting operation, the first zone on the front side of the workpiece is cut along the lateral cutting line, and then in the second lateral cutting operation, the second zone, which is further back than the first zone, is cut along the lateral cutting line. As a result, even for workpieces with thickness in the lateral direction, cutting can be performed with good cut quality by performing multiple lateral cutting operations.

[0069] (5) In another embodiment, in the embodiment of (4) above, the restraining unit restrains the workpiece at a position further back from the straight blade than when the first lateral cutting operation is performed, when the second lateral cutting operation is performed.

[0070] According to the embodiment of (5) above, when performing a second lateral cutting operation on a second zone located further back than the first zone, the posture of the workpiece during the second lateral cutting operation can be suitably stabilized by moving the restraint position of the workpiece by the restraint unit further back than the first lateral cutting operation.

[0071] (6) In other embodiments, in any one embodiment of (1) to (5) above, the cutting line determination unit determines a vertical cutting line as the cutting line, which is a vertical cutting line along the peripheral edge of the workpiece in the area where the ribs are located, when the workpiece is viewed from above and is constrained on the work space, and the cutting unit control unit controls the cutting unit to perform a vertical cutting operation to cut the workpiece along the vertical cutting line before the horizontal cutting operation.

[0072] According to the embodiment of (6) above, a longitudinal cutting operation is performed on the workpiece before the transverse cutting operation described above is performed. In the longitudinal cutting operation, a cut is formed along a longitudinal cutting line that follows the periphery of the area where the ribs are located on the workpiece, so that the workpiece can be cut into pieces when the transverse cutting operation is subsequently performed.

[0073] (7) In another embodiment, in the embodiment of (6) above, the restraining unit restrains the workpiece at a restraining position set outside the peripheral edge when the longitudinal cutting operation is performed.

[0074] According to the embodiment of (7) above, when performing a longitudinal cutting operation, the posture of the workpiece during the longitudinal cutting operation can be suitably stabilized by constraining the outer edge of the peripheral portion of the workpiece containing the ribs to the working space.

[0075] (8) In other embodiments, in any one embodiment of (1) to (7) above, the shape information is obtained in advance by imaging the workpiece on the workspace with a three-dimensional camera.

[0076] According to the embodiment of (8) above, the shape information used to determine the cutting line is acquired by imaging the workpiece on the work space with a three-dimensional camera in the stage prior to the cutting operation. Based on the shape information acquired in this way, a cutting line that takes into account individual differences in the workpiece can be suitably determined. Furthermore, if an X-ray camera is provided in addition to the three-dimensional camera, the external shape of the workpiece can be grasped from the three-dimensional camera and the internal shape of the workpiece can be grasped from the X-ray camera, thereby allowing for a more suitable determination of a cutting line that takes into account individual differences in the workpiece by considering both the external and internal shapes of the workpiece.

[0077] (9) In other embodiments, in any one embodiment of (1) to (8) above, the cutting line determination unit determines the cutting line corresponding to the shape information using a learning model.

[0078] According to the embodiment of (9) above, a learning model for predicting the cutting line based on shape information is pre-constructed, and the cutting line corresponding to the shape information of the workpiece can be suitably determined using this learning model. Such a learning model can be constructed, for example, by machine learning using actual data of cutting lines corresponding to shape information as training data, and an appropriate cutting line can be determined for workpieces for which no two shapes are exactly alike.

[0079] (10) In other embodiments, in any one embodiment of (1) to (9) above, the cutting unit includes a cutting robot device having a robot arm with the straight blade mounted at its tip, the restraint unit includes at least one restraint robot device having a robot arm with a restraint tool mounted at its tip for restraining the workpiece, and the cutting robot device and the restraint robot device are coordinately controlled so that their robot arms do not interfere with each other.

[0080] According to the embodiment of (10) above, in the cutting robot device that functions as a cutting unit, a cutting operation is performed on the workpiece using a straight blade mounted on the tip of the robot arm. On the other hand, in the restraining robot device that functions as a restraining unit, a restraining operation is performed on the workpiece using a restraining tool mounted on the tip of the robot arm. The robot arms of both are controlled so as not to interfere with each other, thereby enabling the aforementioned workpiece processing to be performed effectively.

[0081] (11) A meat processing method according to one embodiment is a meat processing method for processing a workpiece which is bone-in meat including ribs, comprising: a work space on which the workpiece can be placed with the ribs facing upward; a restraint unit for restraining the workpiece with respect to the work space; a cutting unit having a straight blade for cutting the workpiece; a cutting line determination unit for determining a cutting line relating to the workpiece based on shape information acquired in advance for the workpiece; and a cutting unit control unit for controlling the cutting unit to cut the workpiece according to the cutting line, wherein the meat processing system comprises: a step of determining a lateral cutting line for cutting the workpiece in the lateral direction as the cutting line for each of a plurality of zones defined on the lower side of the ribs along the direction of extension of the ribs with respect to the workpiece placed on the work space; and a step of controlling the cutting unit to cut the workpiece multiple times by performing a lateral cutting operation for each of the plurality of zones, in which the straight blade is operated along the lateral cutting line.

[0082] According to the embodiment of (11) above, the workpiece, which is bone-in meat including ribs, is placed on the work space with the ribs facing upwards. The workpiece on the work space is restrained by a restraining unit, and is cut by operating the straight blade of the cutting unit according to the cutting line. In this cutting operation, by operating the straight blade according to the cutting line determined based on the shape information of the workpiece acquired in advance, it is possible to achieve better cut quality that takes into account individual differences in the shape of the workpiece compared to using a curved blade. Furthermore, as part of the cutting operation, by performing a lateral cutting operation multiple times, in which the straight blade is operated according to the lateral cutting line determined for each zone defined along the extension direction of the ribs on the underside of the ribs, the torque applied to the straight blade is reduced compared to performing the lateral cutting operation only once, so that the cut quality can be suitably stabilized. In addition, by reducing the torque required for the cutting operation, it is possible to miniaturize the cutting unit, so a compact configuration can be realized, and interference with surrounding components such as the restraining unit can be suitably avoided when the cutting unit is in operation.

[0083] 1 Meat processing system 2 Ribs 3 Workbench 4 First surface 6 Second surface 8 Area 8a Edge 9 Meat portion 10 First robot device (cutting robot device) 12 First robot arm 14 Straight blade 20 Second robot device (restraining robot device) 22 Second robot arm 24 Restraining tool 30 Third robot device (restraining robot device) 32 Third robot arm 34 Restraining tool 40 Imaging device 40a Three-dimensional camera 100 Control device 102 Image data acquisition unit 104 Image data analysis unit 106 Cutting line determination unit 108 Restraint position determination unit 110 Cutting unit control unit 112 Restraint unit control unit S Work space Z1 First zone Z2 Second zone

Claims

1. A meat processing system for processing a workpiece which is bone-in meat including ribs, comprising: a work space on which the workpiece can be placed with the ribs facing upward; a restraint unit for restraining the workpiece with respect to the work space; a cutting unit having a straight blade for cutting the workpiece; a cutting line determination unit for determining a cutting line for the workpiece based on shape information acquired in advance for the workpiece; and a cutting unit control unit for controlling the cutting unit to cut the workpiece according to the cutting line, wherein the cutting line determination unit determines a lateral cutting line for each of a plurality of zones defined below the ribs along the direction of extension of the ribs with respect to the workpiece placed on the work space, and the cutting unit control unit controls the cutting unit to cut the workpiece multiple times by performing a lateral cutting operation for each of the plurality of zones, which involves operating the straight blade along the lateral cutting line.

2. The meat processing system according to claim 1, wherein the cutting unit control unit converts coordinate information defining the cutting line into parameters relating to the position and orientation of the straight blade in the cutting unit, and controls the control unit to realize the parameters.

3. The meat processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the restraining unit restrains the workpiece on the side opposite to the straight blade when viewed from the lateral cutting line during the lateral cutting operation.

4. The meat processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of zones include a first zone located on the near side when viewed from the side from which the straight blade enters the workpiece during the lateral cutting operation, and a second zone located behind the first zone, and the cutting unit control unit controls the cutting unit to perform a first lateral cutting operation, which is the lateral cutting operation along the lateral cutting line determined for the first zone, and then perform a second lateral cutting operation, which is the lateral cutting operation along the lateral cutting line determined for the second zone.

5. The meat processing system according to claim 4, wherein the restraining unit restrains the workpiece at a position further back from the straight blade than when performing the first lateral cutting operation, when performing the second lateral cutting operation.

6. The meat processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cutting line determination unit determines a longitudinal cutting line along the peripheral edge of the workpiece in the area where the ribs are located, when the workpiece is viewed from above and is constrained on the work space, and the cutting unit control unit controls the cutting unit to perform a longitudinal cutting operation to cut the workpiece along the longitudinal cutting line before the transverse cutting operation.

7. The meat processing system according to claim 6, wherein the restraining unit restrains the workpiece at a restraining position set outside the peripheral edge when the longitudinal cutting operation is performed.

8. The meat processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the shape information is obtained in advance by imaging the workpiece on the workspace with a three-dimensional camera.

9. The meat processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cutting line determination unit determines the cutting line corresponding to the shape information using a learning model.

10. The meat processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cutting unit includes a cutting robot device having a robot arm with a straight blade mounted at its tip, the restraint unit includes at least one restraint robot device having a robot arm with a restraint tool mounted at its tip for restraining the workpiece, and the cutting robot device and the restraint robot device are coordinately controlled so that their robot arms do not interfere with each other.

11. A meat processing method for processing a workpiece which is bone-in meat including ribs, comprising: a work space on which the workpiece can be placed with the ribs facing upward; a restraint unit for restraining the workpiece with respect to the work space; a cutting unit having a straight blade for cutting the workpiece; a cutting line determination unit for determining a cutting line relating to the workpiece based on shape information acquired in advance for the workpiece; and a cutting unit control unit for controlling the cutting unit to cut the workpiece according to the cutting line, wherein the meat processing method comprises: a step of determining a lateral cutting line for cutting the workpiece in the lateral direction as the cutting line for each of a plurality of zones defined along the direction of extension of the ribs below the ribs with respect to the workpiece placed on the work space; and a step of controlling the cutting unit to cut the workpiece multiple times by performing a lateral cutting operation for each of the plurality of zones, in which the straight blade is operated along the lateral cutting line.

Images