SUMMARY

This thesis experimentally investigates the effects of a method designed to deliver randomly spaced objects through a multi-conveyor system according to a demanded throughput and spacing. The delivery method is developed and tested in conjunction with on ongoing research project at Georgia Tech investigating the automated transfer of live birds. In this thesis, a method is proposed to identify and compensate for the spacing deviations of objects entering a system comprised of three serially connected conveyors. A switching controller is used regulate the speed of the middle conveyor, creating a buffer. The buffer acts to delay the time each object spends on the conveyor, eliminating spacing variations by the time objects exit the system. The system is experimentally tested to determine how effectively the method can locate and deliver objects onto specific moving points. The proposed method has immediate applications in the poultry processing industry, wherein live birds must be sorted and hung on a uniform shackle line moving at a constant speed.