In-line detection of apple defects using three color cameras system

Identification of apple stem-ends and calyxes from defects on process grading lines is a challenging task due to the complexity of the process. An in-line detection of the apple defect is developed in this article. Firstly, a computer controlled system using three color cameras is placed on the line. In this system, the apples placed on rollers are rotating while moving, and each camera is capturing three images from each apple. In total nine images are obtained for each apple allowing the total surface to be scanned. Secondly, the apple image is segmented from the black background by multi-threshold methods. The defects, including the stein-ends and calyxes, called regions of interest (ROIs), are segmented and counted in each of the nine images. Thirdly, since a calyx and stem-end cannot appear at the same image, an apple is defective if any one of the nine images has two or more ROIs. There are no complex imaging processes or pattern recognition algorithms in this method, because it is only necessary to know how many ROIs are there in a given apple's image. Good separation between normal and defective apples was obtained. The classification error of unjustified acceptance of blemished apples reduced from 21.8% for a single camera to 4.2% for the three camera system, at the expense of rejecting a higher proportion of good apples. Averaged over false positive and false negative, the classification error reduced from 15 to 11%. The disadvantage of this method is that it could not distinguish different defect types. Defects such as bruising, scab, fungal growth, and disease, are treated as the same. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.