Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed relating to controlled environment agriculture (CEA), food processing facilities, and commercial kitchens. The inventive smart and scalable extreme vacuum cooling (EVC) equipment is based on a scalable and modular design that allows one or multiple food chamber modules to connect to one utility module so that all food chambers can share the available vacuum cooling capacity dynamically. A scalable EVC system can be built, shipped and assembled with as few as one food chamber module and one utility module to a number of food chamber modules and a utility module. The food chambers are designed with different sizes in dimension and power requirements but with the same interface to the utility module. In this way, multiple food chamber modules can operate for food rapid cooling and flavor infusion supported by only one utility module. In a CEA farm, leafy greens are harvested daily and need to be chilled rapidly to comply with USDA food safety standards.

Abstract: A surface material on one or more optical components of an optical sensing system can be detected. In some embodiments, a method of detection includes generating a first image using the optical sensing system. In accordance with a determination that one or more criteria are satisfied, the one or more criteria including a criterion that is satisfied when a proportion of the first image having an intensity of light in a first intensity range is greater than a threshold, a surface material is detected on the first attachable lens.