System and Method to Cut Blocks of Meat

A method for cutting food in an automated manner, comprising:

• preparing a machine to cut a food block into two or more pieces;
• establishing a projected line along an inlet into the machine that references a location where a predetermined anatomical feature of the food block to be cut is positioned to align the food block to be properly cut within the machine and downstream of the inlet;
• preparing an image of the food block from a side that faces upward when the food block is placed upon the inlet and upon the projected line;
• receiving the food block upon the inlet;
• comparing the image of the food block with a library that includes a plurality of stored images of a same type of food block, wherein the plurality of stored images are annotated to identify the predetermined anatomical feature as well as one or more additional and different anatomical features of the food block upon the image;
• establishing a most likely location of the predetermined anatomical feature and the one or more additional and different anatomical features of the food block that is received upon the inlet based upon a comparison of visible features of the food block upon the image and the annotations of the same predetermined and one or more additional and different anatomical features upon the plurality of stored images,
• preparing a strategy for cutting the food block that is received upon the inlet based upon the established most likely locations of the two or more anatomical features of the food block that is received upon the inlet, wherein the prepared strategy includes a cut line through the food block that is along a line along the predetermined anatomical feature from a first outer edge of the food block either at or closest to a first determined end of the predetermined anatomical feature and to a second outer edge of the food block at an opposite side of the food block from the first outer edge and either at or closest to an opposite second determined end of the predetermined anatomical feature;
• and
• cutting the food block based upon the prepared strategy.

A method for cutting food in an automated manner, comprising:

• preparing a machine to cut a food block into two more pieces;
• establishing a projected line along an inlet into the machine that references a location where a predetermined anatomical feature of the food block to be cut is positioned to align the food block to be properly cut within the machine and downstream of the inlet;
• preparing an image of the food block from a side that faces upward when the food block is placed upon the inlet and upon the projected line;
• receiving the food block upon the inlet;
• comparing the image of the food block with a library that includes a plurality of stored images of a same type of food block, wherein the plurality of stored images are annotated to identify the predetermined anatomical feature as well as one or more additional and different anatomical features of the food block upon the image;
• establishing a most likely location of the predetermined anatomical feature and the one or more additional and different anatomical features of the food block that is received upon the inlet based upon a comparison of visible features of the food block upon the image and the annotations of the same predetermined and one or more additional and different anatomical features upon the plurality of stored images,
• determining any offset between a position of the food block that is received upon the inlet and the projected line;
• preparing a strategy for cutting the food block that is received upon the inlet based upon the established most likely locations of the two or more anatomical features of the food block that is received upon the inlet and the determined offset;
• cutting the food block along the predetermined anatomical feature based upon the prepared strategy, wherein the step of cutting the food block based upon the prepared strategy comprises cutting the food block along a path that is not a straight line along an entire length of the cut of the food block.