Fraser’s vision to revolutionise meat processing

• Queensland’s Fraser Border has won the Minister’s Award at this year’s Science and Innovation Awards announced in Canberra
• His research uses augmented reality and advanced sensing to assist meat processing workers and increase yields
• He receives an additional $22,000 in Australian Government funding to develop his project and deliver benefits to the Australian meat processing sector

Queensland engineer Fraser Border has today been recognised for his efforts in developing ‘superhuman’ vision for meat processing workers that takes the guesswork out of where the fat ends and the lean beef starts.

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud announced Mr Border as the winner of the Minister’s Award at this year’s Science and Innovation Awards for his trailblazing augmented reality visualisation technology.

“I am delighted to announce Fraser as the

winner of the Minister’s Award, and much deserved too,” Minister Littleproud said.

“This is cutting-edge smarts that could stop meat workers from flying blind when trimming strip loin.

“Fraser’s superhuman goggles could potentially save the meat processing industry millions of dollars a year, with reduced errors and higher yields.

“This technology will not only enhance operator performance but also serve as a pilot towards the adoption of wearables, AR and futuristic technologies.

“This is innovation, insight and ingenuity at its very best and will take our already sophisticated meat industry to even higher levels.

“I congratulate all winners and nominees of this year’s Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry for their innovative research projects which support the future success of Australia’s agriculture industries.

“These young people are transforming agriculture not just in a broad sense as we grow to a $100 billion industry but also in a regional sense by making change for lives of regional Australians though innovation and hard work.

“It is great to see all these people who have such a passion for our agriculture sector.”

Mr Border, a University of Southern Queensland researcher, receives $22,000 in grant funding from industry for winning the Australian Meat Processor Corporation category – and a further $22,000 from government for winning the Minister’s Award for his extended research project.

The 2021 winners’ booklet, with profiles and project details, is available here. 

• The 2021 Science and Innovation Awards winners and their project are:
  • Bianca Agenbag (award sponsor Australian Wool Innovation) - Investigating the effects of colostrum quality on ram lamb reproductive potential.
  • Fraser Border (Australian Meat Processor Corporation) - Novel visualisation technologies to improve workforce flexibility and yield losses in high value meat processing tasks.
  • Jessica Craig (Australian Pork Limited) - Investigating the novel concept of the cumulative impact of inclusion of gilt progeny in an Australian pig breeding program.
  • Zahra Faraji Rad (CSIRO Biosecurity digital innovation) - Rapid detection of plant diseases by microneedle patch array.
  • Moshe Jasper (Grains Research and Development Corporation) - Rapid in-field screening for insecticide resistance in Red Legged Earth Mite.
  • Dr Cheryl Suwen Law (Wine Australia) - Development of lab-on-a-chip sensors for smoke taint in wines.
  • Jarrod Lees (Meat & Livestock Australia) - Evaluation of Australian goatmeat eating quality for the high value domestic market.
  • Ryan Orr (Hort Innovation) - An eDNA molecular diagnostic tool for Panama disease biosecurity.
  • Natalie Morgan (Australian Eggs) - Evaluation of the prebiotic effects of xylo-oligosaccharides in laying hens.
  • Demi Sargent (Cotton Research and Development Corporation) - The gatekeeper to photosynthesis: mesophyll conductance and abiotic stress in cotton.
  • Megan Warner (Forest & Wood Products Australia) - The use of rhizobacteria to improve rhizogenesis in Eucalyptus globulus for the purpose of family forestry deployment.
• The industry category awards were supported by research and development corporations and industry organisations.
• The Awards are targeted at 18-35 year old innovators, researchers, scientists and others with a commitment to the success of the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors.