AGILEHAND

Why this project?

The evolution of the market and the rapid changes in consumer needs are having an impact on many mass production methods. As a result, new solutions that can quickly adapt to changing needs and trends are being sought. What's more, it has also become essential that product handling and, more generally, all inbound logistics systems can be easily, quickly and efficiently adapted to various incoming products. And it goes without saying that transport systems will continue to be an important technology for the food industry in the years to come. However, changing consumer needs demand that the flexibility and reconfigurability of these systems be improved.

The market share of robots used for automated product handling will also continue to grow. While a growing number of manufacturers are implementing more affordable, versatile and agile robots for the optimisation of operations such as the assembly, picking, packaging and palletising of solid products, the handling of soft and deformable products, such as food, clothing and plastics, remains a challenge.

Methodology and expected results

AGILEHAND is a Horizon Europe project (RIA - research and innovation action) that aims to develop advanced technologies for autonomous sorting, handling and packaging of soft and deformable products and to provide a strategic tool for the improvement of the flexibility, agility and reconfigurability of the production and logistics systems of European manufacturing companies.

In this context, AGILEHAND will deploy 3 integrated Suites:

1. SMART SENSING SUITE: Development of self-calibrating sensor systems that assess the quality (both internal and external) of delicate objects thereby improving the traceability, flexibility and reconfigurability of the production line.
2. SELF-ADAPTIVE HANDLING, SORTING AND PACKAGING SUITE: Development of robotic or co-robotic manipulation systems that can handle, sort or package various soft and deformable products without causing product damage.
3. AGILE, FLEXIBLE AND RAPIDLY RECONFIGURABLE SUITE: Development of AI solutions that enable the monitoring, adaptive control and synchronisation of production and logistics flows in a factory, even when there is high variability among the products.

These solutions, developed within AGILEHAND, will be demonstrated in 4 industrial pilot projects, each with its own products and research questions:

• Marelec (Belgium): Sorting, batching and packaging of soft, deformable and sticky products, such as meat and fish.
• Multiscan (Spain): Sorting and packaging a wide variety of vegetables with different shapes and consistencies.
• Sant'Orsola (Italy): Sorting and handling of slightly deformable but very fragile berry fruits.
• Produmar (Portugal): Handling systems for deformable, oily and slippery fish products.

 Expected results:

• A handbook of strategies for developing employee skills, health and safety, and communication and engagement
• Self-calibrating sensor systems for quality assessment
• Robotic solution for the manipulation of soft and deformable products
• AI-based tools to monitor and continuously improve production and logistics flows
• Roadmap and impact assessment of various pilot demonstrations
• Valorisation of solutions in various agrifood sectors

Target group

European manufacturers of industrial handling, sorting and packaging systems are the primary target group of the AGILEHAND project. The manufacturing industry (including the food industry), suppliers of production infrastructure, digital technology suppliers, service providers and society at large will also be targeted.

Project partners

This Horizon Europe project is a collaboration between 19 partners from Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Finland, Germany and Denmark, as well as 2 affiliated partners from Japan. Universita Politecnica delle Marche (IT) is coordinating the project. In addition to Flanders' FOOD, Flanders is also represented in this project by Marelec.

This project is supported by funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 101092043. The content of this website does not represent the opinion of the European Union, and the European Union is not responsible for any use made of such content.

Project website: AgileHand Project - AgileHand