A system for processing scrap material that includes a variable-power electromagnetic drum separator wherein shredded scrap material is placed in free fall at a position proximate the electromagnetic drum separator. A first fraction of the scrap material is attracted to the electromagnetic drum separator and is carried under the rotational axis of the electromagnetic drum separator thereby separating the first fraction of material from a second fraction of the material which continues to free fall and wherein the first fraction is a low-copper ferrous material with the second fraction having a higher non-ferrous content than the first fraction. A magnetic drum separator may be positioned upstream of the variable-power electromagnetic drum separator and be used to separate non-ferrous materials. The variable-power electromagnetic drum separator may be adjusted so that the second fraction includes some ferrous material. A robotic picker may be used to remove undesirable materials from the second fraction.

A method and a sorting plant for sorting out mineral-containing objects or plastic objects from a single layer material stream is shown. Here it is provided that objects (12) of the material stream are irradiated with stimulating light and the resulting fluorescent light is detected in the form of an image of the fluorescent points, the objects of the material stream are irradiated with object detection light outside the fluorescent light, and the transmitted light after passage between the objects or the reflected light of the objects is detected in the form of an image of the individual objects, an object is then defined as containing at least one specific mineral or one specific plastic if the fluorescent light of said object lies in a predetermined intensity range for at least one predetermined wavelength range, and the so defined objects are separated from other objects of the material stream.

A machine vision system for automatically identifying and inspecting objects is disclosed, including composable vision-based recognition modules and a decision algorithm to perform the final determination on object type and quality. This vision system has been used to develop a Projectile Identification System and an Automated Tactical Ammunition Classification System. The technology can be used to create numerous other inspection and automated identification systems.

A measuring apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a support plate and an optical sensor. The support plate has an upper surface on a central portion of which an object is to be mounted, and is rotatable about an axis of rotation extending vertically from the central portion. The optical sensor is disposed above the support plate, and has a light-emitting element configured to irradiate the object with light and a light-receiving element configured to receive reflection light reflected from the object.

Various examples of a system for peanut sorting and grading are disclosed herein. The system for grading peanut maturity, can include: a sample feeder configured to supply individual peanuts to an imaging area; a sorting board comprising a plurality of chutes and a plurality of gates, each chute of the plurality of chutes designated for a grade of peanut; and program instructions to obtain the digital image of the individual peanut; determine the grade of the individual peanut; and sort the individual peanut based on the grade of the individual peanut. A method for grading peanut maturity, can include feeding an individual peanut to an imaging area; obtaining a digital image of the individual peanut; determining a grade of the individual peanut based on an average color; and sorting the individual peanut in a chute of a sorting board based on the grade of the individual peanut.

Various examples of a system for peanut sorting and grading are disclosed herein. The system for grading peanut maturity, can include: a sample feeder configured to supply individual peanuts to an imaging area; a sorting board comprising a plurality of chutes and a plurality of gates, each chute of the plurality of chutes designated for a grade of peanut; and program instructions to obtain the digital image of the individual peanut; determine the grade of the individual peanut; and sort the individual peanut based on the grade of the individual peanut. A method for grading peanut maturity, can include feeding an individual peanut to an imaging area; obtaining a digital image of the individual peanut; determining a grade of the individual peanut based on an average color; and sorting the individual peanut in a chute of a sorting board based on the grade of the individual peanut.

Provided is an optical sorter including a chute arranged in an inclined manner such that objects to be sorted flow down, an optical detecting unit configured to detect the objects to be sorted at a detection position, and an ejector unit configured to sort and remove the objects to be sorted based on a result of detection obtained by the optical detecting unit. The optical detecting unit includes an illuminating unit configured to illuminate the detection position, and an imaging unit configured to image the objects to be sorted at the detection position. The chute is provided with an optical detection slit orthogonally crossing a flowing down direction of the objects to be sorted. The optical detecting unit images the objects to be sorted flowing down on the chute with the imaging unit using a position at which the optical detection slit is provided as the detection position.

Provided is an optical sorter including a chute arranged in an inclined manner such that objects to be sorted flow down, an optical detecting unit configured to detect the objects to be sorted at a detection position, and an ejector unit configured to sort and remove the objects to be sorted based on a result of detection obtained by the optical detecting unit. The optical detecting unit includes an illuminating unit configured to illuminate the detection position, and an imaging unit configured to image the objects to be sorted at the detection position. The chute is provided with an optical detection slit orthogonally crossing a flowing down direction of the objects to be sorted. The optical detecting unit images the objects to be sorted flowing down on the chute with the imaging unit using a position at which the optical detection slit is provided as the detection position.

An identification apparatus that identifies properties of a specimen conveyed at a predetermined conveying velocity by a conveying unit includes an identification unit configured to identify a material included in the specimen and acquire a length in a conveying direction of the specimen, and a command unit configured to generate a control signal for controlling a screening device to perform a screening operation with predetermined intensity corresponding to the length, wherein the command unit changes the intensity of the screening operation per the length according to the length.

Embodiments relate to a crop harvesting apparatus configured to garner or harvest crops from plants via vacuum suction and sort the garnered crops via a quick-switching gate system. A vacuum source generates the vacuum suction for the apparatus so that crops are garnered (or plucked) from the plant via suction through an end-effector, which are then transferred to a crop sorter by way of tubing that has a smooth inner surface. The crop sorter utilizes a gate system that exploits vacuum suction from the vacuum source and gravity to quickly and effectively sort the garnered crops into a hopper and a rejection bin.