1. An apparatus, comprising: a cleave unit; an image recognition system configured to determine a feature location on an intermediate optical assembly when the intermediate optical assembly is coupled to the cleave unit; and a translation unit configured to move the intermediate optical assembly along a longitudinal axis such that the feature location is at a defined location relative to a cleave blade of the cleave unit; wherein the cleaving unit configured to cleave the intermediate optical assembly at the defined location relative to the feature location; and wherein the image recognition system is configured to: identify a first inner edge and a second inner edge of the intermediate optical assembly within an image of a field of view of the image recognition system, the inner edges being along the direction of the translation; analyze a region between the first inner edge and a second inner edge of the intermediate optical assembly to determine at least one area with a high rate of change of image intensity in a longitudinal direction; and determine the feature location of the intermediate optical assembly along a length of the intermediate optical assembly when the at least one area substantially corresponds to a splice of the intermediate optical assembly.