An apparatus for detecting surface characteristics on food objects conveyed by a conveyor has a first imaging device for capturing two-dimensional image data (2D) and a second imaging device for capturing three-dimensional image data (3D) of a food object. A image processing unit is configured to utilize either the 2D or 3D image data in determining whether a potential defect is present on the surface of the food object. The image processing unit determines a surface position of a potential defect, and utilizes the 2D or 3D image data in determining whether an actual defect is present on the surface of the food object at the indicated surface position. The apparatus has an output unit for outputting defect related data in case both of the 2D and the 3D image data indicate that an actual defect is present on the surface of the food object at the indicated surface position.

The technology as disclosed herein includes a method and apparatus for deboning a meat item, and more particular for deboning a poultry item including performing an initial shoulder cut for removing boneless breast meat from the poultry carcass or frame. The technology as disclosed and claimed further includes a method and apparatus for removing a tender meat portion from a poultry item. The method and apparatus disclosed and claimed herein is a combination of a robotic arm including an ultrasonic knife implement and/or an annular blade knife implement and a vision system for varying the cut path based on the shape and size of the poultry item. The combination as claimed including the ultrasonic knife can perform a meat cut while penetrating the meat with less force than the typical penetration that occurs when using a traditional knife. The combination as claimed including the annular blade knife implement can remove the tender meat portion for the keel bone and posterior sheath.

The present invention provides a new method and apparatus for performing water jet cutting of food items on conveyor belts. The invention provides a cutting unit with a novel design and a method for the use of plurality of cutting devices for cutting, trimming and removing undesired tissue from food items in a more accurate but faster way than prior art methods.

The invention provides a sensor-guided, automated system that is capable of intelligently cutting crustaceans, such as crab and lobster, into a plurality of portions, as directed. More particularly, the present system is capable of effectively butchering each individual crustacean in response to how the system's sensor(s) assess the physical characteristics of each crustacean as it arrives via a conveyor belt. The system generally comprises: an intake apparatus for receiving a crustacean; a sensor-guided positioning (SGP) system for determining the presence, location, orientation and size of the crustacean on the intake apparatus, coupling the crustacean, and placing the crustacean into a holding system for butchering; a holding system for retaining the crustacean in an optimal fixed position for butchering; a sensor-guided butchering (SGB) system for determining the locations on a crustacean body to be cut based on the desired output of crustacean portions, and cutting the crustacean at the chosen locations to produce optimal crustacean products; and an outlet apparatus which discharges the butchered crustacean from the system for subsequent packaging.

There is provided an article inspection system including: an additional processing control unit that executes additional processing on an article determined to be defective among inspected articles, according to an inspection result of an article inspection unit, in which the additional processing control unit includes a quality state determination unit that determines which one of a plurality of preset quality states the inspection result corresponds to, and processing request selection means for selecting any one of first processing request information for requesting a working machine to perform first additional processing work by the working machine and second processing request information for requesting second manual additional processing work, according to a determination result of the quality state determination unit.

This invention relates to a cutting system for cutting food products while the food products are conveyed by a conveyor. An arc-shaped system and a cutting means are provided, where the cutting means is adapted to be connected to the arc-shaped system. The arc-shaped system is adapted to be positioned above a surface area of the conveyor on which said food products are resting during the cutting such that the center of the arc-shaped system is around the surface area. A control unit operates the position of the cutting means within the arc-shaped system based on image data.

A method and system are provided for automatically portioning workpieces, such as food products, by simulating portioning the workpieces in accordance with the one or more desired shapes of the final piece(s) as a directly controlled physical characteristic (parameter/specification) as well as one or more resulting indirectly controlled physical characteristics (parameters/specifications). The desired shape(s) of the final piece(s) are defined by a plurality of manipulatable reference coordinates. A workpiece is scanned to obtain scanning information, then portioning of the workpiece is simulated in accordance with the desired shape(s) of the final piece(s) defined by the directly controlled reference coordinates, thereby to determine the one or more indirectly controlled physical characteristics of the one or more final pieces to be portioned from the workpiece. The simulated portioning of the workpiece is performed for multiple combinations of directly controlled shapes as defined by the modified or edited reference coordinates and indirectly controlled physical characteristics until an acceptable set of a directly controlled shape and resulting one or more indirectly controlled physical characteristics is determined.

A method to identify a desired portion of a food block to be pressed is provided. The method includes preparing an image of a food block, the food block provided within a system that is adapted to cut the food block into a size that is desired for sale, and in some embodiments for cutting into multiple smaller salable pieces. A rectangle is identified for cutting a block of meat within a projection of the food block within the image, wherein the rectangle includes a possible front end cut, a possible right side cut, a possible left side cut, and a possible rear side cut. Various adjustments to the positioning and the size of the rectangle are considered based upon one or more identifiable aspects of the food block from the image, and establishing a final cutting geometry with a final front end cut, final right side cut, final left side cut, and final rear side cut.

A method of determining a measure of gaping in a fish fillet item, involves the steps of obtaining three-dimensional profile data of a first area of the fish fillet item, obtaining optical imaging data of a second area of the fish fillet item, wherein the first area and the second area are overlapping at least within an overlap area; and determining the measure of gaping in the fish fillet item based on the three-dimensional profile data within the overlap area and the optical imaging data within the overlap area.

A food processing system includes a structural frame with a conveyor that defines a processing path. The system includes a vision subsystem that captures images of opposite sides of a material on the conveyor and generates superimposed and extracted boundaries of main products and co-products in the material based on the images. The boundaries are converted into coordinates for guiding an automated cutting subsystem, which cuts the material along the boundaries. The separation and material handling subsystem utilizes curvature in the conveyor and a shaker conveyor system to separate or provide more space between the main products and the co-products after the cutting operation. The separation and material handling subsystem may also include a pick and place system that identifies and remove the co-products from the main products on the conveyor, while also providing feedback to the vision subsystem to improve the precision of additional cutting operations.