Bud sorting and packaging apparatus, systems and methods

A system for packaging cannabis buds into individual containers each having a predetermined loaded target weight, comprising:

• a) a bud pick and place robot having an arm with a free end including a plurality of individual bud pickers;
• b) a bud picking tray adapted to receive and present for picking by said plurality of individual bud pick and place elements a plurality of cannabis buds;
• and
• c) a computer vision system electronically connected to said bud picker robot, said computer vision system including a processor in communication with a non-transitory memory storing computer readable instructions executable by the processor for performing a method, the method comprising the steps of:
• i) acquiring a digital image of a plurality of product items having a product type;
• ii) identifying each of the plurality of product items in the digital image, resulting in one or more identified product items;
• iii) determining a pixel-based area for each of the one or more identified product items;
• iv) predicting a weight of each of the one or more identified product items based on a size thereof, the determined pixel-based area and a predetermined density based on the product type, the step of predicting resulting in a plurality of predicted weights;
• v) grouping, based on the plurality of predicted weights, the one or more identified product items into a plurality of groups, each group satisfying the predetermined loaded target weight;
• and
• vi) automatedly picking and placing each of the plurality of groups into a product item container.