IPOH CHICKEN MARKET TO OPERATE USING ROBOTIC TECHNOLOGY  

IPOH, Dec 4 -- The Ipoh Chicken Market here is going to be the first market in the country to use robotic technology to reduce dependence on foreign workers.

Ipoh City Council (MBI) Engineering principal assistant director (Works and Buildings) Arif Mohd Zainudin said there are three types of robots currently being tested in the market, namely floor washing robots, goods carrying robots and rubbish collecting robots.

He said the three robots are expected to be tested soon and would be fully operational on Dec 15 at the chicken and meat section of the Ipoh Central Market.

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"We have many issues with foreigners working in the market area, so to reduce the dependence on these foreign workers, robotics is one of the solutions.

"The Ipoh Chicken Market is also the first market in Malaysia to use this technology in collaboration with MBI, Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT), Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) and Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC)," he said.

He told a press conference after witnessing a demonstration of robots at the market today.

Apart from that, Arif said the technology could also be optimised to resolve issues of hygiene and moving goods within the market area.

"For example, previously we have to employ five workers to clean this area every day but with this technology, only one machine is needed.

"The frequency (washing) can be increased, if before this we can only wash twice a day, now we can increase it to three times a day," he said.

Commenting further, he said the technology would be extended to other markets in the district if it succeeded in creating a positive impact on the Ipoh Chicken Market.

"Hopefully the use of this robotic technology will open a new chapter, especially for a more systematic and up-to-date management of wet markets," he said.

-- BERNAMA