An automated food waste processing system including an enclosure secured to prevent unauthorized access to contents contained therein, the enclosure including a plurality of exterior walls and a food waste processing system housed within the enclosure. The food waste processing system including an imaging system configured to capture a plurality of images of the food waste and the non-biodegradable material received by the sorting receptacle, a processing system configured to process the plurality of images using a trained neural network to identify at least plastic waste and metal waste as the non-biodegradable material when included in the food waste input stream as received by the sorting receptacle, and a sorting system configured to, in response to instructions received from the processing system, automatically locate and remove the non-biodegradable material from the sorting receptacle to create a bio-degradable input stream to the anaerobic digester.

A management and control system is provided for a user to interface with an inspecting apparatus having at least one digital optical instrument. The management and control system comprises a processor configured to receive images from the at least one digital optical instrument, analyze the images, and transmit instructions to the inspecting apparatus, and a display configured to display analysis of the images wherein the user is capable of interfacing and providing instructions to the inspecting apparatus based on the analysis of the images, wherein the display simultaneously displays histograms and thumbnail-image generated in the processor based on the images. A method for controlling and managing the inspecting apparatus for items as well as an UI are disclosed.

A sorting device for sorting agricultural products coming from a bulk flow and a corresponding method are described. A sorting device includes an image acquisition unit; an image processing unit configured to identify and analyze each product in the bulk flow; a decision unit configured to determine the products to be separated; a separation unit arranged to separate at least some of the products coming from the bulk flow; and a unit for conveying the agricultural products in the form of bulk flow. The sorting device may further include means for turning over the agricultural products on themselves, mounted in the conveying unit facing the image acquisition unit, and configured to allow an exposure to the image acquisition unit, of the different parts of the conveyed agricultural products.

Controller of an optical sorter is configured to receive an input of a candidate for a target quality condition regarding an allowable mix rate of defective products in sorting targets discharged from the optical sorter as acceptable products, receive an input of quality information indicating a mix rate of the defective products regarding at least a part of the sorting targets, simulate, based on the information, a sorting result regarding a quantity and/or a yield of the sorting targets discharged as the acceptable products that is expected to be acquired when sorting is conducted by a sorting device to achieve the candidate for the target quality condition and output a result of the simulation, receive an input of a final target quality condition to be employed when conducting the sorting, and conduct the sorting based on a sorting control parameter that allows the final target quality condition to be achieved.

Methods and apparatus for processing eggs based upon a characteristic such as gender are provided. Material is extracted from each of a plurality of live eggs, the extracted material is assayed to identify eggs having the characteristic, and then eggs identified as having the characteristic are processed accordingly.

The image sorting system sorts normal chicken breast meat fillets from chicken fillets that exhibit wooden breast myopathy (i.e. WB fillets). In the preferred embodiment, a camera and associated controller gather data and construct a digital image of a chicken breast fillet as it travels on a conveyer belt. The digital image is used to calculate a centroid (i.e. center of mass) of the fillet. As the fillet moves over a nose of the conveyor belt and free-falls to a lower conveyor belt, the controller determines the distance between the fillet centroid and a reference point (preferably the conveyer belt axis of rotation). If the distance exceeds a predetermined minimum distance, the fillet is designated a WB fillet.

The present invention discloses a multi-channeled grading machine with trajectory tracking sensor network for grading objects into multiple grades in a single pass based on external characteristics viz. size, shape, color, texture, surface properties or any other possible external characteristics by continuously tracking the trajectory of objects. The grading machine comprises of hopper; at least one feeding unit; multiple optics units multiple conduits; multiple sensor networks in multiple conduits; at least one master controller; at least one ejector unit comprising of arrays of single-angled or multiple angle ejectors in each conduit; multiple vacuum creators placed respectively opposite to each ejector; multiple collecting chutes; and multiple collecting locations. The grading machine is extremely simple, accurate, and automated, power-efficient and cost-effective.

A food article defect removal apparatus includes a manifold that defines one or more chambers for holding pressurized fluid. First channels extend from a first side of the manifold into fluid communication with the chambers. Second channels extend from the first side of the manifold to a second side of the manifold. Valves selectively connect corresponding first channels and second channels together to dispense the pressurized fluid from the manifold. The manifold can have an exterior wall that at least partially defines a first chamber and a second chamber, with an interior wall disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber. The interior wall can define the second channels. The valves can be included with a valve assembly, which includes a driver operably coupled with the valves. The valves can be pluggably coupled with the driver.

Method for the transportation and weighting of each of a continuous succession of agricultural products comprising a singling device with a plurality of pockets linearly arranged and on a rectilinear motion in translation along a parallel direction to the alignment line of the pockets, wherein the products are grasped in a drawing station by means of a first transferring means provided with gripping devices (grippers) opening downside and transferred to a release station wherein they are placed onto a second transferring means, wherein said gripping devices grasp in succession the products arranged on said singling device and wherein during the transportation onto the first transferring said products are singly weighed; said gripping means and the respective products are subjected to, in said first transferring means, a translation and to sequential and ordered distribution along two or more distinct and parallel alignment axes; said second transferring means comprises a plurality of movable conveyors parallel one to the other, aligned onto the respective vertical plane with respective alignment axes, and provided with a plurality of containers and open at the top; the motion of said grippers and of said containers is such that to a same gripping device is associated a corresponding one of said containers, so that each gripping device releases the respective product onto a respective one of said containers.

A method and system for sorting workpieces, such as chicken nuggets. The sorting system includes a conveyor system that advances in a forward direction and one or more blow off bars positioned over the conveyor system. The blow off bars extend along the forward advancing direction. The blow off bars include one or more valved nozzles connected to a pressurized source of a fluid, and the nozzles are positioned to discharge the fluid across the conveyor system.