Abstract: An imaging system captures images of a work surface having articles of cutlery distributed thereon. An end effector, such as a magnetic end effector, may be used to grasp articles of cutlery and place them in a designated location according to the type of the article of cutlery as determined using an image of the work surface and machine vision. A type of articles of cutlery may be classified based on the image such as according to category (knife, fork, spoon), size, or brand. Multiple articles of cutlery occluding one another may be dealt with by stirring or grasping multiple items and releasing them on a separate work surface in order to disperse them. Whether the end effector is grasping multiple articles of cutlery may be determined by capturing an image of the end effector. Machine vision may determine whether an article of cutlery is contaminated or damaged.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying dishware through a cleaning cycle. The apparatus includes a magnetic grasping element to grasp dishware having a ferromagnetic component. The magnetic grasping element transitions between at least two states to selectively engage and disengage the dishware. A corresponding system and method are also described herein.

Abstract: A system for conveying dishware through a cleaning cycle. The system includes a conveyance assembly having a receiving surface to receive and retain dishware. The conveyance assembly rotates the receiving surfaces about an axis to convey the dishware to each of at least two unique locations. A corresponding system and method are also disclosed and claimed herein.