** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** OVER THE LAST HALF-CENTURY, INCREASED BIRD YIELDS IN THE POULTRY INDUSTRY IN RESPONSE TO GROWING MARKET DEMAND FOR THIS FEED-EFFICIENT AND SUSTAINABLE MEAT HAVE RESULTED IN A BROILER MEAT QUALITY DEFECT KNOWN AS WOODY BREAST (WB).WB STEMS FROM A BREAST MUSCLE MYOPATHY AND IS PRIMARILY CHARACTERIZED BY DIFFUSE AREAS OF HARDNESS AND GENERAL MUSCLE RIGIDITY. HOWEVER, CURRENTLY, THERE ARE NO WELL-ACCEPTED BREEDING AND MANAGEMENT PROTOCOLS TO MITIGATE THE WB.FROM THE FOOD QUALITY PERSPECTIVE, WB DIMINISHES RAW AND COOKED FILLET QUALITY.TEXTURE ANALYZER INSTRUMENTS ARE COMMONLY USED IN ACADEMIC LABS TO EVALUATE FOOD HARDNESS.HOWEVER, THESE DEVICES REQUIRE A COMPLICATED SAMPLE PREPARATION PROCESS THAT IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE HIGH THROUGHPUT REQUIREMENT OF ONLINE SORTING SCENARIOS.IN PRACTICE, THE SUBJECTIVE PALPATION METHOD REMAINS THE MOST WIDELY USED PRACTICE. HOWEVER,THE MANUAL METHOD IS TEDIOUS AND TIME-CONSUMING WHICH COULD SLOW DOWN AUTOMATED FOOD PRODUCTION LINES. THIS PROJECT WILL TAKE THE ADVANTAGEOF RECENT ADVANCES IN THE HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGING SYSTEM, WHILE PRIMARILYAIMING TO ESTABLISH A QUANTITIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OPTICAL MAPS AND ROBOTIC PALPATED HARDNESS MAP TO IMPROVE THE ROBUSTNESS OF HYPERSPECTRAL ANALYSIS MODEL FOR POTENTIAL DEPLOYMENT OF THE HIGH-THROUGHPUT MACHINE VISION SYSTEM IN THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.