Key Technology has introduced the enhanced Herbert OCULUS optical sorter for whole potatoes. Ideal for fresh market potatoes or whole potatoes prior to processing, the enhanced system improves performance to better find and remove potatoes with defects. Its superior sorting capabilities help ensure product quality while reducing labor requirements and achieving consistent line capacity despite fluctuations in incoming raw product quality.

With extreme weather impacting the quality and quantity of harvested crops worldwide and labor availability at an all-time low, automating inspection with OCULUS helps customers achieve grade specifications while maximizing yield and profitability. The enhanced Herbert OCULUS features several upgrades, including:

• New cameras with twice the resolution of the previous generation cameras that identify smaller, harder-to-detect defects
• An advanced 64-bit operating system to replace the previous 32-bit system, achieving a more sophisticated analysis of each tuber
• New longer-lasting air cylinders with better seals that run at a lower pressure to minimize energy usage, reduce maintenance, and lessen operating noise while maintaining high performance
• Lighter reject fingers now move faster to improve reject accuracy.

Additionally, Herbert OCULUS conveys potatoes over a series of rollers to present a complete 360-degree view of each tuber to the digital infrared color cameras. Compared to traditional cascade sorters, the unique method of sorting offers gentler handling and provides 20 percent more surface inspection to maximize defect removal.