Automated oyster shucking

Many oyster handling and processing devices require oysters to enter in a specific orientation. Unfortunately wild caught oysters exhibit great variability in shape and configuration. Thus, orienting them automatically is challenging. Orientation and transfer devices were developed and the efficiency of both orienting single wild caught oysters from the Chesapeake Bay region and transferring them from the orientation device to an exit conveyor were determined. The computer program, OYSORS, developed to control the orienting device was found to be able to orient only 51% of the oysters within ±0.35 radians when using only the basic program and 68% when using the basic program plus the Adjust modification. The total orientation and transfer system efficiency using the Adjust algorithm was determined for oysters from three oyster bars in the Chesapeake Bay Region: Tangier Sound, Wicomico River, and Potomac River. The total system was found to be able to orient and transfer oysters while holding their orientation within ±0.35 radians for between 50 and 66% of the oysters depending on the origin of the oysters. The transfer system alone was shown to be able to transfer oysters from the orienter to the exit conveyor within an allowable deflection of ±0.17 radians in 75–95% of the oysters depending on the origin of the oysters. It was shown that the transfer system was actually able to correct the orientation of some of the oysters incorrectly oriented by the computer program OYSORS.