** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** BLUE CRABS AND THEIR MEAT ARE AN ICONIC CULTURAL EXPORT FOR THE ATLANTIC AND GULF MEXICO COASTAL REGIONS. HOWEVER, PROCESSING ENOUGH MEAT TO SATISFY THE MARKET DEMAND IS CHALLENGING; EVEN ON THE LARGEST SCALES, COMMERCIAL MEAT IS STILL HAND-PICKED. THE PROCESS DEMANDS A HIGHLY SKILLED AND ATTENTIVE WORKER UTILIZING A KNIFE TO SEPARATE THE LEGS AND JOINTS, AS WELL AS BREAK THE INNER CARTILAGE TO REVEAL THE PRECIOUS AND FRAGILE LUMP MEAT INSIDE THE MEAT COMPARTMENTS. THE PROCESS IS ARDUOUS AND DANGEROUS; AND THE MOST SKILLED OF PICKERS CAN PROCESS AT MOST TWO CRABS PER MINUTE. ALTHOUGH VARIOUS AUTOMATED SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTED FOR THE PAST 50 YEARS, NONE HAVE DECONSTRUCTED THE CRAB AND REMOVED THE MEAT WITHOUT DEGRADING THE MEAT QUALITY AND VALUE.UNDER THE SUPPORT OF NSF/USDA NRI 2.0 PROGRAM, WE HAVE ACHIEVED THE GOAL OF DEVELOPING A TWO-STAGE VISION-ROBOTIC SYSTEM EQUIPPED WITH HIGH-PRESSURE WATERJET KNIVES FOR AUTOMATED DISASSEMBLY OF COMPLEX CRAB COMPARTMENTS. AFTER THE CRAB HAS BEEN CUT INTO EASILY ACCESSIBLE SECTIONS, HUMANS CAN USE THEIR DIGITAL DEXTERITY TO GENTLY REMOVE THE MEAT FROM EACH COMPARTMENT. THIS IS A SEMI-AUTOMATED OPERATION.TO ADVANCE OUR RESULTS TO A FULLY AUTOMATED SYSTEM, TWO ADDITIONAL TASKS WILL BE MADE: CRAB MEAT EXTRACTION AND CRAB LOADING. IN THE CRABMEAT HARVESTING PROCESS, THE TOUGHEST HURDLE TO OVERCOME IS THE EXTRACTION OF THE COVETED LUMP MEAT. THIS TASK REQUIRES A SKILLFUL APPLICATION OF FORCE TO MANEUVER THROUGH THE COMPLEX EXO-SKELETON AND INNER STRUCTURES OF A COOKED CRAB. PRECISION CUTS MUST BE MADE ALONG COMPLEX CURVES TO OPEN ACCESS TO THE MEAT CHAMBERS TO PRESERVE MEAT WHOLESOMENESS AND MAXIMAL VALUES.THIS PROJECT IS TO ADVANCE THE MULTISTAGE ROBOTIC PROCESSES, MOVING BEYOND A SEMI-AUTOMATIC SYSTEM TO A FULLY AUTOMATED ONE. MACHINE-VISION GUIDED ROBOTICS, MACHINE DEEP LEARNING, AND INTEGRATED SYSTEM WILL BE CREATED TOWARD THE ON-LINE AUTOMATED SMART FOOD PROCESSING SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY. THE RESULT OF THIS PROJECT CANHAVEA BROADER IMPACT IN ROBOT-ASSISTED SCALABLE TECHNOLOGY TO MEET THE USDA MISSIONS THAT BENEFIT CONSUMERS AND COASTAL RURAL COMMUNITIES. IT WILL INCREASE EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY WITH REDUCED RISK AND SUSTAINABLE FOOD AGRICULTURE.