Closer Robotics to Participate in METI's FY 2024 Innovative Robot Research and Development Infrastructure Project (Food Sector)

Closer Inc. (Representative Director: Shota Higuchi, Headquarters: Tsukuba, Ibaraki, hereinafter "Closer Robotics"), a developer of AI robots, has been selected to participate as a robotics research and development company in the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s (METI) "FY 2024 Innovative Robot Research and Development Infrastructure Project (Food Sector)."

METI's "Innovative Robot Research and Development Infrastructure Project"

This project, funded by METI since FY 2020, aims to promote the social implementation of robots. It focuses on four key sectors: "Facility Management," "Food," "Retail," and "Logistics Warehouses." In FY 2024, the "Food" sector has been selected, with the Japan Ready-Made Meals Association acting as the lead organization.

The ready-made meal sector of food manufacturing, particularly in the area of prepared meals, faces challenges such as irregular product shapes and small-batch, high-variety production, which raise significant technical and economic barriers to robot adoption.

This project aims to expand the scope and versatility of robot system implementation by developing a complete line system for the packaging of noodle-based prepared meals, enhancing various technological components, and enabling the transport of products between ambient and refrigerated floors using conveyor robots. The project involves eight prepared food companies (user companies) and 14 vendor companies (research and development companies), all working together to address industry challenges.

METI Press Release:
https://www.meti.go.jp/policy/mono_info_service/mono/robot/240920_robotfriendly.html

Japan Ready-Made Meals Association Press Release:
https://www.nsouzai-kyoukai.or.jp/news/pr20240920/

Closer Robotics’ Participation

Automating the transfer of small condiment packets, a task frequently performed in food factories, has proven difficult due to the packets’ glossy, deformed, and thin characteristics, which are challenging for conventional image processing technologies. Since its inception, Closer Robotics has been developing advanced robot systems that combine image processing and robot control. In this project, Closer Robotics will leverage its technology to develop an integrated system for the packaging process of noodle-based prepared meals.