RoboKnife – first patent application for RoBUTCHER

The team at NMBU has filed the first patent application in the project. The application was filed in June 2021 in the United Kingdom.

The patent concerns a new smart knife called RoboKnife, compatible with the Meat Factory Cell concept and with the ability to sense in real time. The knife uses electromagnetic waves, specifically in the radio- and microwave range, to provide information regarding the cutting status of a robotic arm. It was designed specifically with the pork processing industry in mind, but it could be modified for use in other meat or food sectors, or even for surgical applications. The next step is validating its performance in an industrial setting, further targeting commercial exploitation.