Driving innovation in next-generation technology for food and general manufacturing industries
Advanced Imaging and Sensor Technologies
Researchers design systems for grading and inspection using stereo 3D, time-of-flight, visible, IR, and UV imaging modalities.
Contact Doug Britton - doug.britton@gtri.gatech.edu
The Citrus Inspection and Grading System uses multiple imaging sensors to identify blemishes, defects, and color inconsistencies at a throughput of 600 fruit per minute.
The Inspection and Control System for High-Volume Baking Processes uses 
imaging and sensing systems to continuously monitor and control product quality on a commercial bread/bun line and to regulate large-scale industrial ovens.
The Systemic Screening System uses an innovative computer imaging platform to automatically detect product quality defects on high-speed poultry processing lines at a throughput of 200 birds per minute.
Cone Line Bone Detection System: Initial tests of cutting techniques using a prototype intelligent deboning system demonstrated the systems's ability to recognize bone during a cut and modify its path to avoid bone chips. The goal is to have an automated system that allows for cutting very close to the bone without generating and bone chips – all at line speeds. Plans call for refinement of the prototype to allow for more integrated control testing inclusing the use of 3D imaging technology. The 3D imaging is critical to the placement of the blade to start the cut.
Grow-out House Monitoring: The goal of this research is to monitor various parameters for the birds using video and audio to determine the correlation between environmental or medical conditions and their audio and video time series data. Could these parameters be used as early predictors of flock health and performance? The ability of currently available environmental sensors to reliably sense the broiler house environment is limited. Most are not able to withstand the environment for extended periods of time. Some experimental and anecdotal evidence indicates that to the trained ear the vocal utterances of the birds can signal when they are uncomfortable or under stress. The research parameters for this project is to conduct preliminary experiments to determine if useful correlations between the conditions of the birds and their vocalizations can be made.