Abstract An Automated Beef Rib Cutting system has been developed by Scott Automation Robotics (SCOTT)and is currently in production.This system utilises dual-energy x-ray (DEXA) hardware to drive automated cutting of beef carcases.There is currently a need in the industry for methods to objectively measure carcase characteristics for the purposes of grading.DEXA technology is a key enabler for this. The purpose of this project was to investigate the ability of this system to accurately perform objective carcase measurement (OCM)on beef sides for fat,lean and bone composition.A trial was first performed using a calibration object made from known compositions of fat and lean.These trials suggested that the system was capable of obtaining OCM data.A set of trials was then performed whereby six beef sides were scanned by the DEXA system and then by a CT scanner.From this,the DEXA images were analysed and models were built to predict the amount of lean,fat and bone present in each DEXA image.The CT data provided predictions for the amount of lean,fat and bone in each carcase side. These trials yielded promising results and a second set of trials was designed to build upon these findings.Another set of phantom trials were performed and a further eight sides were then scanned by the DEXA system,CT scanned and modelled as before.The modifications resulted in improved models with R2 values of 0.78 and 0.93 achieved for fat and bone, respectively.Alternatively there was no ability to predict CT lean%directly,although this can be calculated from the other two measures. This data demonstrates good potential for measuring carcase composition using DEXA values.The next phase of work should involve confirming these results within an expanded data set,while also testing the stability of this measurement across a variety of processing factors. Page 2 of 44Page 2 of 44 Abstract An Automated Beef Rib Cutting system has been developed by Scott Automation & Robotics (SCOTT) and is currently in production. This system utilises dual-energy x-ray (DEXA) hardware to drive automated cutting of beef carcases. There is currently a need in the industry for methods to objectively measure carcase characteristics for the purposes of grading. DEXA technology is a key enabler for this. The purpose of this project was to investigate the ability of this system to accurately perform objective carcase measurement (OCM) on beef sides for fat, lean and bone composition. A trial was first performed using a calibration object made from known compositions of fat and lean. These trials suggested that the system was capable of obtaining OCM data. A set of trials was then performed whereby six beef sides were scanned by the DEXA system and then by a CT scanner. From this, the DEXA images were analysed and models were built to predict the amount of lean, fat and bone present in each DEXA image. The CT data provided predictions for the amount of lean, fat and bone in each carcase side. These trials yielded promising results and a second set of trials was designed to build upon these findings. Another set of phantom trials were performed and a further eight sides were then scanned by the DEXA system, CT scanned and modelled as before. The modifications resulted in improved models with R2 values of 0.78 and 0.93 achieved for fat and bone, respectively. Alternatively there was no ability to predict CT lean% directly, although this can be calculated from the other two measures. This data demonstrates good potential for measuring carcase composition using DEXA values. The next phase of work should involve confirming these results within an expanded data set, while also testing the stability of this measurement across a variety of processing factors