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Image processing system for detecting bruises on fruit
| Details |
Inventors: Throop, James A.; Rehkugler, Gerald E.;
Assignee: Cornell Research Foundation, Inc. (Ithaca, NY)
Primary Examiner: Boudreau; Leo H.
Assistant Examiner: Brim; Steven
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Jones, Tullar, & Cooper
An image processing technique for detecting and measuring the size of bruises on fruit, such as apples, is disclosed. A line scan camera is employed to obtain a gray level image of each piece of fruit as it is rotated in front of the camera. The image is digitized, and transferred to a computer which performs a plurality of steps on the image to determine the sizes of any bruises on the fruit from the gray level data. The image data is filtered to remove interference due to pixel-to-pixel variations in the camera, background noise, etc., and is then thresholded to obtain a binary image representation. Clusters of zeros in the resulting binary image that are representative of potential bruises are analyzed to determine their size and shape. If the shape of the cluster is nearly circular, it is determined to be a bruise. From this information, the amount of bruise area on the fruit may be determined, and the fruit graded accordingly. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide an improved digital image processing technique for use with an automated fruit grading system which allows the amount of bruise area on apples, or similar fruit, to be quickly and accurately determined.
This, and other objects of the present invention are achieved through the use of a line scan camera such as that employed by Taylor, and a unique image processing technique that eliminates the time consuming normalization process employed by Taylor.
In addition, the processing technique eliminates the need for careful camera placement by enabling the background in the image to be filtered out.
More particularly, the present invention utilizes an apple or fruit handling system comprised of an orienting section, and a spindling and imaging section.
A continuously moving transport cup conveyor is employed for transporting fruit to the spindling and imaging section.
Each transport cup is conical in shape for reception of a single apple, or similar fruit, and has an open bottom so that a spinning orienting wheel can engage the bottom of the fruit as it approaches the spindling and imaging section.
The orienting wheel insures that the stem-calyx axis of the apple will remain vertical during imaging, and that only the cheek of the apple will be exposed to the line scan camera.
This type of fruit orienting device is disclosed in U.
S.
Pat.
No.
3,225,892 to Keesling, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Near each transport cup is a single extended pin coupler link used to engage a spindle mechanism at the spindling and imaging section, and carry it along with each transport cup.
The spindle mechanism is mounted on two parallel linear motion guides and is spring loaded to resist movement in the direction of the transport cup travel.
After traveling through its sequence of operations, the spindle mechanism springs backward to be picked up by the next transport cup drive pin.
The purpose of the spindle mechanism is to engage each apple, and raise it out of its transport cup so that the apple may be viewed by a line scan camera
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