Why Tap a Wheel of Cheese?

Automation vs. Human Battitori

• Many argue the job could be automated with existing tech (ultrasound, X‑ray, CT, microphones plus spectral analysis, or ML on tap sounds) without “AI magic.”
• Others stress that battitori aren’t just listening: they combine sound, feel/bounce, appearance, smell, and general environmental QA (humidity, temperature, “something feels off”).
• Several predict Italian resistance will keep the job human for a long time; tradition is seen as a guardrail against “value engineering” that would slowly erode quality.
• Concern: once you automate, it becomes easy for management to relax thresholds to increase yield; a human expert is harder to quietly pressure.

Engineering Approaches Discussed

• Proposed methods:
  • Industrial CT; or simpler multi‑plane X‑rays for voids/density.
  • Ultrasound pulse‑echo / tomography (already standard in welds, concrete, etc.; one cited study on Swiss‑type cheese).
  • Mechanical tapping with a small transducer and analyzing echoes.
  • Electrical impedance tomography through the wheel.
  • Ground‑penetrating‑radar‑like RF.
  • Ultra‑precise weighing to infer internal air pockets.
• Some suggest hybrid “tool‑assisted battitori”: keep people, add instruments and numerical feedback.

Jobs, Professions, and Change

• Debate over whether professions are “destroyed” or just transformed (OCR engineers, lamplighters vs lighting techs, knocker‑ups).
• Point that even if workers can transition, fewer total people are needed after automation.
• One commenter notes there are only ~two dozen battitori, so any cost saving is limited; automation’s main payoff would be consistency, not labor.

Italian Food Culture, Standards, and Branding

• Discussion of Italy’s intense food traditionalism (coffee, olive oil, cheese) and official bodies that test authenticity.
• Parmigiano Reggiano is sold through a consortium; wheels carry numeric dairy codes. Retail vacuum packs often add producer branding; some seek out special variants (e.g., “vacche rosse”).
• Failed or marginal wheels aren’t discarded; they’re sold under different markings/grades.

Cheese Appreciation and Skepticism

• Strong enthusiasm for Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, pecorino romano, and other aged cheeses; many emphasize eating them plain, not just grated.
• Tips about using rinds in soups and risotto, or eating/baking the rind directly.
• Some skepticism that the craft is as esoteric as portrayed (“just notice when the sound changes”), with pushback that outside observers consistently underestimate tacit skill.
• Open questions in the thread about battitori error rates and how often their judgments are validated remain unanswered.