Produce orientor

A method of automatically orienting produce items, wherein each produce item has a stem and a blossom comprising the steps:

• imaging a produce item repeatedly with one or more depth imaging cameras as said produce item is manipulated to create a three dimensional characterization of said produce item,
• comparing, using an iterative closest point algorithm, the created digital three dimensional characterization of the surface of said produce with a digital library of a plurality of three dimensional models of properly oriented and symmetric produce items to locate a closest match between the created digital three dimensional characterization of the surface of said produce and one of three dimensional models in the digital library,
• and
• correcting the orientation of said produce item to a proper orientation based on the located closest match by:
• rotating said produce item about a first pre-determined axis until said stem and said blossom lie in a first pre-determined plane;
• and
• rotating said produce item about a second pre-determined axis until said stem and said blossom lie along a pre-determined line.

A system of automatically orienting produce items, wherein each produce item has a stem and a blossom comprising:

• a manipulator to transport individual produce items and manipulate each produce item,
• an imager to image each produce item repeatedly with one or more depth imaging cameras as said produce item is manipulated,
• a data processor to create a digital three dimensional characterization of the surface of said produce item being manipulated and utilize said digital three dimensional characterization of the surface of said produce item being manipulated to locate said stem and said blossom in three-dimensional space using a principal axis of curvature algorithm, and
• wherein said manipulator is configured to correct the orientation of said produce item to a proper orientation by:
• rotating said produce item about a first pre-determined axis until said stem and said blossom lie in a first pre-determined plane;
• and
• rotating said produce item about a second pre-determined axis until said stem and said blossom lie along a pre-determined line.