[Asia Economy Reporter Park So-yeon] What does robot-fried chicken taste like?
Hyundai Robotics, a robotics subsidiary of Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the global chicken franchise KFC for joint research and development in the field of automated chicken manufacturing, officially entering the food-tech market.
The two companies will collaborate on research and development of automated chicken manufacturing using collaborative robots, process layout and device development to improve cooking work efficiency. Collaborative robots refer to robots that work alongside humans.
Hyundai Robotics will be responsible for process design and standardization of operating procedures to improve cooking work efficiency, while KFC will handle cooking device development by providing manufacturing know-how and store facilities.
In particular, Hyundai Robotics plans to automate the chicken product classification stage through vision sensing technology (camera visual information analysis), and deploy mobile robots that can freely move in confined spaces instead of collaborative robots.
Hyundai Robotics explained that collaborative robots will be deployed in areas of chicken manufacturing that are high-risk and involve repetitive tasks, thereby enhancing safety and efficiency.
Additionally, with the introduction of robotic systems in the cooking process, various orders can be processed faster and more accurately.
Seo Yoo-sung, CEO of Hyundai Robotics, said, "The COVID-19 pandemic has opened a new door of opportunity called food-tech," adding, "We will expand the application and development of robot technology in new industries."
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