Periodic Reporting for period 2 - CoRoSect (Cognitive Robotic System for Digitalized and Networked (Automated) Insect Farms)
Período documentado: 2022-07-01 hasta 2024-03-31
By 2030 over 9 billion people, along with animals raised for food or kept as companions, will need to be fed generating inconsistencies between the demand and supply of food resources and promoting food insecurity by rendering food as unavailable, unaffordable, unevenly distributed or unsafe to eat. Therefore, food security represents the big challenge of the 21st century and in that context one promising potential sustainable solution is insect farming. The mass rearing of insects for food and feed holds great potential as it allows the production of rich proteins at large scale saving tons of CO2 emissions and requiring many times less water and land in comparison to other agricultural processes. Insects represent excellent bio-converters that can be used to recycle agricultural waste streams into valuable proteins and fertilizers.
CoRoSect addressed the dramatic need to gain a sustainable supply of food resources through insect farming with new robotic and digital solutions for the automation of insect farming, which is a critical point stressed by the Technical Expert Consultation on Assessing the Potential of Insects as Food and Feed in Assuring Food Security. To provide insect farmers with robotic automation solutions that scale with their businesses, CoRoSect formed a novel integrated cognitive robotic and digitalized ecosystem where repetitive but also cognitively and physically demanding tasks requiring increased manual effort or continuous human supervision during the insects’ lifecycle, are replaced by automatic robotic-based procedures. The provided solutions draw upon research performed on understanding biological, technical, legal, ethical, and economic requirements of insect rearing. Focusing on real insect rearing problems, CoRoSect technologies have been evaluated extensively through pilots in 4 insect farms placed in 4 European countries rearing three of the most commonly occurring species, Mealworms, Black Soldier Flies, and Crickets.
CoRoSect addressed the dramatic need to gain a sustainable supply of food resources through insect farming with new robotic and digital solutions for the automation of insect farming, which is a critical point stressed by the Technical Expert Consultation on Assessing the Potential of Insects as Food and Feed in Assuring Food Security. To provide insect farmers with robotic automation solutions that scale with their businesses, CoRoSect formed a novel integrated cognitive robotic and digitalized ecosystem where repetitive but also cognitively and physically demanding tasks requiring increased manual effort or continuous human supervision during the insects’ lifecycle, are replaced by automatic robotic-based procedures. The provided solutions draw upon research performed on understanding biological, technical, legal, ethical, and economic requirements of insect rearing. Focusing on real insect rearing problems, CoRoSect technologies have been evaluated extensively through pilots in 4 insect farms placed in 4 European countries rearing three of the most commonly occurring species, Mealworms, Black Soldier Flies, and Crickets.
The CoRoSect partners realized an innovative scalable solution for the robotization and digitalization of insect farming. This solution is comprised of the following robotic, AI, and software components that function as a well-integrated system but can also be exploited individually:
- CoRoSect provides a versatile cognitive collaborative robot that can autonomously handle various insect rearing tasks. Equipped with sensors and artificial intelligence this robot was designed to handle various insects and materials while operating in dynamically changing environments.
- An autonomous guided vehicle and a robotic solution for loading and unloading heavy loads have been developed and fully integrated into the CoRoSect solution to automate the logistical processes in insect farms.
- To enable a single robot performing various insect rearing and material handling tasks, an innovative versatile end-effector has been developed.
- Sensors have been developed, crucial for automatic quality management in insect farming.
- Datasets for automated visual inspection of insects at different stages of the insects’ life cycles have been created published (DOI 10.5220/0012295900003654) together with developed AI models.
- Model-driven decision support systems for optimizing insect rearing have been developed (DOI 10.3920/jiff2022.s1 DOI 10.3390/insects14110854). These models thrive from research performed in insect rearing such as research on insect diets based on agricultural sidestreams.
- An innovative light-weight Management Execution and Information Management Systems has been developed that allows farmers to monitor and control various insect rearing processes and CoRoSect robots.
- Ethical and legal guidelines for human-robot collaboration in industrial automation have been developed: CoRoSect works towards the development and use of legally and ethically compliant technological solutions. For this purpose, the project has carried out legal research in the field of privacy and data protection, safety and cybersecurity legislation, and the regulation of artificial intelligence and robotics.
- Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality applications have been developed (e.g. DOI 10.5220/0012319200003654) to make human robot collaboration more effective and to train insect farmers in using robotic solutions for insect rearing.
- With various dissemination activities, CoRoSect reached nearly 600,000 followers. CoRoSect proactively participated in media and was presented on various media platforms, actively strengthening the visibility, credibility, and recognition of insect farming and sustainable agriculture.
- CoRoSect actively reported on technological innovations and scientific insights by publishing 13 scientific journal and conference papers. Additional publications are in preparation including the CoRoSect book.
- CoRoSect provides a versatile cognitive collaborative robot that can autonomously handle various insect rearing tasks. Equipped with sensors and artificial intelligence this robot was designed to handle various insects and materials while operating in dynamically changing environments.
- An autonomous guided vehicle and a robotic solution for loading and unloading heavy loads have been developed and fully integrated into the CoRoSect solution to automate the logistical processes in insect farms.
- To enable a single robot performing various insect rearing and material handling tasks, an innovative versatile end-effector has been developed.
- Sensors have been developed, crucial for automatic quality management in insect farming.
- Datasets for automated visual inspection of insects at different stages of the insects’ life cycles have been created published (DOI 10.5220/0012295900003654) together with developed AI models.
- Model-driven decision support systems for optimizing insect rearing have been developed (DOI 10.3920/jiff2022.s1 DOI 10.3390/insects14110854). These models thrive from research performed in insect rearing such as research on insect diets based on agricultural sidestreams.
- An innovative light-weight Management Execution and Information Management Systems has been developed that allows farmers to monitor and control various insect rearing processes and CoRoSect robots.
- Ethical and legal guidelines for human-robot collaboration in industrial automation have been developed: CoRoSect works towards the development and use of legally and ethically compliant technological solutions. For this purpose, the project has carried out legal research in the field of privacy and data protection, safety and cybersecurity legislation, and the regulation of artificial intelligence and robotics.
- Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality applications have been developed (e.g. DOI 10.5220/0012319200003654) to make human robot collaboration more effective and to train insect farmers in using robotic solutions for insect rearing.
- With various dissemination activities, CoRoSect reached nearly 600,000 followers. CoRoSect proactively participated in media and was presented on various media platforms, actively strengthening the visibility, credibility, and recognition of insect farming and sustainable agriculture.
- CoRoSect actively reported on technological innovations and scientific insights by publishing 13 scientific journal and conference papers. Additional publications are in preparation including the CoRoSect book.
CoRoSect generates significant technological and societal impact in insect rearing, robotics, artificial intelligence, and industrial automation with the goal of improving food security worldwide:
- With its focus on the automation of insect farming, CoRoSect contributes to insect rearing at large scale supporting especially also small and medium-scale insect farms thereby helping society in securing a sustainable production of food and feed from insect proteins.
- CoRoSect establishes a new quality of cognitive industrial robots that skillfully adapt to new situations and environments.
- Through the development of sustainable insect diets from agricultural wastes and side streams, CoRoSect targets the reduction of organic waste and its conversion into valuable food and feed.
- The development of cognitive robotic technology and artificial intelligence for digitalized and networked automated insect farms contributes to increasing the efficiency of insect farms thereby generating substantial economic value. With its innovations in robotization and digitalization CoRoSect generated significant scientific impact.
- CoRoSect establishes new industrial standards for the orchestration of networked cyber-physical systems under the Reference Architectural Model for Industry 4.0.
- CoRoSect developed AI techniques contributing to quality management in insect farms aiming at better quality of food and feed.
- The innovations in robotics, artificial intelligence, and in the orchestration of networked cyber-physical systems are widely applicable also to other industrial areas such as in the manufacturing industry.
- CoRoSect generated insights into the ethical, legal, and social implications of human-robot collaboration in industrial automation. CoRoSect research contributes to the academic and societal knowledge by clarifying and refining the rules that should govern artificial intelligence and robotics in industrial settings.
- With its focus on the automation of insect farming, CoRoSect contributes to insect rearing at large scale supporting especially also small and medium-scale insect farms thereby helping society in securing a sustainable production of food and feed from insect proteins.
- CoRoSect establishes a new quality of cognitive industrial robots that skillfully adapt to new situations and environments.
- Through the development of sustainable insect diets from agricultural wastes and side streams, CoRoSect targets the reduction of organic waste and its conversion into valuable food and feed.
- The development of cognitive robotic technology and artificial intelligence for digitalized and networked automated insect farms contributes to increasing the efficiency of insect farms thereby generating substantial economic value. With its innovations in robotization and digitalization CoRoSect generated significant scientific impact.
- CoRoSect establishes new industrial standards for the orchestration of networked cyber-physical systems under the Reference Architectural Model for Industry 4.0.
- CoRoSect developed AI techniques contributing to quality management in insect farms aiming at better quality of food and feed.
- The innovations in robotics, artificial intelligence, and in the orchestration of networked cyber-physical systems are widely applicable also to other industrial areas such as in the manufacturing industry.
- CoRoSect generated insights into the ethical, legal, and social implications of human-robot collaboration in industrial automation. CoRoSect research contributes to the academic and societal knowledge by clarifying and refining the rules that should govern artificial intelligence and robotics in industrial settings.