Abstract: System and method for volume reduction solids treatment for fecal waste are described. The system can include a pasteurizer (102) configured to receive a slurry batch and heat the slurry batch at an elevated temperature for a time period to produce a pathogen free slurry. The system can also include a mechanical dewatering press (104) configured to compress the pathogen free slurry to separate a liquid phase from a volume reduced solid waste. The volume reduced solid waste being formed into a feces cake. The system can also include a means to remove the liquid phase and a drying tunnel (106) comprising a conveyor housed and an air duct system. The air duct system configured to propel forced air over the feces cake.

Abstract: A part tracking system comprised of an array of photoelectric sensors positioned at various angles with respect to a conveyor transporting parts such as pieces of poultry to create a field of detection. The angle arrangements of the array of photoelectric sensors circumscribes the parts with lines of varying angles to approximate the part outline or closed line integral with a polygon. As a part is conveyed through the array of photoelectric sensors each transition of the sensors provide a side of the polygon that circumscribes the part. From this the vertices of the polygon can be determined which allows the centroid and angle of the major axis of the part to be calculated thereby providing the coordinates for the part's location on the conveyor. The coordinates are then conveyed to a robotic controller which manipulates an end effector to grasp the part.