** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FRESHWATER FISH SPECIES CATFISH HAS A HIGH NUTRITIONAL VALUE AND CAN BE PROCESSED INTO VARIOUS PRODUCTS INCLUDING FILLETS NUGGETS STRIPS ETC. INDIVIDUALLY QUICK FROZEN (IQF) IS AN IMPORTANT OPERATION FOR FISH PRODUCTION. THIS INSTANT FREEZING PROCESS INHIBITS THE LARGE-SIZE ICE CRYSTAL FORMATION IN CELLS WHICH OTHERWISE WOULD CAUSE DAMAGE TO MEMBRANES AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL; IT FACILITATES THE PRESERVATION OF HIGH-QUALITY FOOD TO A FAR EXTENT IN TERMS OF ITS ORIGINAL SHAPE COLOR SMELL AND TASTE. PRODUCTS KEPT IN DEEP-FROZEN CONDITIONS WILL MAINTAIN THEIR QUALITY DURING STORAGE TRANSPORTATION AND DISTRIBUTION. WHILE PREPARING FISH PRODUCTS FOR IQF AGGLOMERATIONS OF THE PRODUCTS MUST BE INDIVIDUALLY SEPARATED. THIS DEMANDS SIGNIFICANT MANUAL INTERFERENCE IN THE IQF PREPARATION PROCESS TO SEPARATE INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTS IN THE PROCESSING LINE. IN ADDITION TO BEING SEPARATED CATFISH FILLETS NEED TO BE ORIENTATED DUE TO THEIR LONG THIN SHAPE WITH HEAD-FRONT AND TAIL-REAR. OTHERWISE THE TAIL SECTION MIGHT BECOME STUCK IN THE GAPS BETWEEN THE CONVEYOR BELTS OR BED PLATES THEREBY CAUSING DOWNTIMES AND PRODUCTIVITY REDUCTIONS. MOREOVER FISH FILLETS' TOP AND BOTTOM ORIENTATIONS WILL AFFECT FREEZING QUALITY IN THE SUBSEQUENT IQF PROCESS. WITH THE INSIDE-DOWN FROZEN CATFISH FILLETS MAY STICK FIRMLY TO THE CONVEYOR BELT AND REMOVING THESE FILLETS CAN LEAD TO UNACCEPTABLE YIELD LOSSES. THEREFORE CATFISH FILLETS MUST BE PLACED INSIDE-UP. CLEARLY THE SINGULATION AND ORIENTATION PROCESSES REQUIRE EXTENSIVE MANUAL EFFORTS WHICH CONTRIBUTE SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE LABOR COSTS FOR FISH PROCESSING. UNFORTUNATELY EXISTING SINGULATION SYSTEMS CANNOT BE READILY ADOPTED FOR CATFISH FILLETS. THE COMMON SINGULATION SYSTEMS SUCH AS HIGH-SPEED CONVEYOR BELT SYSTEMS AND ROTARY SINGULATION CANNOT ADJUST THE ORIENTATIONS OF CATFISH FILLETS. DUE TO THEIR SOFT TEXTURE CATFISH FILLETS MAY BE DAMAGED IN SOME SINGULATION SYSTEMS SUCH AS CLOCKING SYSTEMS VIBRATION FEEDERS AND PICK-AND-PLACE SYSTEMS. THUS IT IS IMPERATIVE TO IMPROVE THE AUTOMATION LEVEL OF THE CATFISH FILLETS IQF PREPARATION PROCESS TO REDUCE LABOR DEMANDS AND COSTS AND ENHANCE CATFISH INDUSTRY PROFITABILITY.OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO FULLY AUTOMATE THE IQF PREPARATION PROCESS TO ENHANCE THE PROCESSING EFFICIENCY FOR CATFISH AND BEYOND. IN THIS PROJECT OUR OVERALL OBJECTIVE IS TO INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF USING WATER BUOYANCY AND UNDERWATER STREAMS THROUGH INNOVATIVE ENGINEERING DESIGN AND PROTOTYPING COMBINED WITH ADVANCED MACHINE VISION TECHNOLOGY FOR AUTOMATED SINGULATION AND ORIENTATION OF CATFISH FILLETS. OUR PROPOSED RESEARCH IS NEED-DRIVEN BECAUSE THERE IS CURRENTLY A LACK OF AUTOMATED SINGULATION AND ORIENTATION SYSTEMS DESIGNED AND OPTIMIZED FOR CATFISH FILLETS AND THE IQF PREPARATION PROCESS. THE RATIONALE UNDERLYING THE PROPOSED RESEARCH LIES IN THE UNIQUE CAPABILITIES OF A WATER-BASED SYSTEM USING BUOYANT FORCE AND THRUST FORCE DESIGNS OF CONTROLLED UNDERWATER STREAMS MACHINE VISION TECHNOLOGY FOR THE RECOGNITION AND LOCALIZATION OF CATFISH FILLETS AND ENGINEERING DESIGN PROTOTYPING AND INTEGRATION PROCESSES. WATER CAN BE A RELIABLE SAFE AND CHEAP TOOL FOR HANDLING CATFISH FILLETS AS UTILIZED IN SHRIMP PRODUCTION. THE SINKING AND LIFTING PROCESS CAN SEPARATE AND UNFOLD THE CATFISH FILLETS WITHOUT DAMAGE. THE AIR BLOWING CAN BE APPLIED FOR DEWATERING TO MINIMIZE THE WATER-ABSORBING EFFECT DURING THE SINKING AND LIFTING PROCESSES. THE CONVEYORS CAN BE DESIGNED AND EQUIPPED WITH ORIENTATION MECHANISMS TO REALIZE THE FLIPPING MOTIONS OF THE CATFISH FILLETS. THE SYSTEM PROPOSED IN THIS GRANT WILL BE A NOVEL EFFECTIVE MODALITY FOR PREPARING THE IQF PROCESS OF CATFISH FILLETS. THIS RESEARCH WILL FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEXT-GENERATION MORE EFFECTIVE SINGULATION ORIENTATION AND IQF TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE U.S. CATFISH INDUSTRY.AMONG WIDELY CONSUMED FISH SPECIES IN THE U.S. CATFISH RANKED 8TH IN PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION IN 2019. MISSISSIPPI RANKED 1ST IN CATFISH PRODUCTION IN 2021. HOWEVER THE U.S. CATFISH INDUSTRY IS SHRINKING AND FACING GREAT CHALLENGES BECAUSE OF INTERNATIONAL MARKET COMPETITION AND INCREASING PRODUCTION COSTS. THE OUTBREAK OF COVID-19 REVEALED A SHARP DEFICIENCY IN THE LABOR FORCE FOR THE ENTIRE CATFISH INDUSTRY WHICH HAS RELIED ON MANUAL LABOR FOR VARIOUS PROCESSING OPERATIONS. MANDATORY LOCKDOWNS SEVERELY DISRUPTED THE SEAFOOD SUPPLY CHAINS AND LABOR ACCESS. THE TIGHTENING LABOR MARKET HAS RESULTED IN THE DELAY OF NOT ONLY CATFISH PROCESSING BUT ALSO PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION. FOR U.S. CATFISH PROCESSORS TO STAY PROFITABLE AND COMPETITIVE IT IS IMPERATIVE TO INCREASE THE LEVEL OF AUTOMATION FOR PROCESSING OPERATIONS SUCH AS IQF PREPARATION PROCESS. PRESENTLY EACH PROCESSING FACILITY NEEDS 6-10 LABORERS FOR THE MANUAL CATFISH FILLET IQF PREPARATION PROCESS IMPLYING THAT AUTOMATING THE PROCESS WOULD POTENTIALLY SAVE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN ANNUAL LABOR COSTS PER PROCESSING LINE (6-10 CLASS ONE ENTRY LEVEL UNSKILLED LABORERS WORK 52 WEEKS PER YEAR AND 40 HOURS PER WEEK AT A $10 HOURLY RATE). THE AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY TO BE DEVELOPED IN THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL HAVE THE TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT THE U.S. CATFISH PROCESSOR BY MINIMIZING LABOR DEPENDENCE AND COSTS. THE RESEARCH RESULTS WILL BE PRESENTED AT SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES AND SUBMITTED TO JOURNALS. MEANWHILE WE WILL KEEP INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS (PRIMARILY CATFISH PROCESSORS) IN THE FEEDBACK LOOP THROUGH OUTREACH ACTIVITIES SUCH AS PROCESSOR INTERACTIONS ON-SITE DEMONSTRATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS. THE FEEDBACK INFORMATION GATHERED FROM STAKEHOLDERS WILL BE USED FOR FUTURE ASSESSMENT OF THE FINANCIAL IMPACT AND POTENTIAL INVESTMENT RETURN.