Computer Vision as a Tool to Support Quality Control and Robotic Handling of Fruit: A Case Study
The food industry increasingly depends on technological assets to improve the efficiency and accuracy of fruit processing and quality control. This article enhances the application of computer vision with collaborative robotics to create a non-destructive system. The system can automate the detectio...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-10-01
|
| Series: | Applied Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/21/9727 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1846173574866403328 |
|---|---|
| author | Estêvão Vale Filho Luan Lang Martim L. Aguiar Rodrigo Antunes Nuno Pereira Pedro Dinis Gaspar |
| author_facet | Estêvão Vale Filho Luan Lang Martim L. Aguiar Rodrigo Antunes Nuno Pereira Pedro Dinis Gaspar |
| author_sort | Estêvão Vale Filho |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The food industry increasingly depends on technological assets to improve the efficiency and accuracy of fruit processing and quality control. This article enhances the application of computer vision with collaborative robotics to create a non-destructive system. The system can automate the detection and handling of fruits, particularly tomatoes, reducing the reliance on manual labor and minimizing damage during processing. This system was developed with a Raspberry Pi 5 to capture images of the fruit using a PiCamera module 3. After detecting the object, a command is sent to a Universal Robotics UR3e robotic arm via Ethernet cable, using Python code that integrates company functions and functions developed specifically for this application. Four object detection models were developed using the TensorFlow Object Detection API, converted to TensorFlow Lite, to detect two types of fruit (tomatoes) using deep learning techniques. Each fruit had two versions of the models. The models obtained 67.54% mAP for four classes and 64.66% mAP for two classes, A rectangular work area was created for the robotic arm and computer vision to work together. After 640 manipulation tests, a reliable area of 262 × 250 mm was determined for operating the system. In fruit sorting facilities, this system can be employed to automatically classify fruits based on size, ripeness, and quality. This ensures consistent product standards and reduces waste by sorting fruits according to pre-defined criteria. The system’s ability to detect multiple fruit types with high accuracy enables it to integrate into existing workflows, thereby increasing productivity and profitability for food processing companies. Additionally, the non-destructive nature of this technology allows for the inspection of fruits without causing any damage, ensuring that only the highest-quality produce is selected for further processing. This application can enhance the speed and precision of quality control processes, leading to improved product quality and customer satisfaction. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0fc0ccabc6e44f24b086b6fb6521486c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-0fc0ccabc6e44f24b086b6fb6521486c2024-11-08T14:33:09ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172024-10-011421972710.3390/app14219727Computer Vision as a Tool to Support Quality Control and Robotic Handling of Fruit: A Case StudyEstêvão Vale Filho0Luan Lang1Martim L. Aguiar2Rodrigo Antunes3Nuno Pereira4Pedro Dinis Gaspar5Department of Electromechanical Engineering, University of Beira Interior, Rua Marquês de D’Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, PortugalDepartment of Electromechanical Engineering, University of Beira Interior, Rua Marquês de D’Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, PortugalDepartment of Electromechanical Engineering, University of Beira Interior, Rua Marquês de D’Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, PortugalDepartment of Electromechanical Engineering, University of Beira Interior, Rua Marquês de D’Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, PortugalDepartment of Electromechanical Engineering, University of Beira Interior, Rua Marquês de D’Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, PortugalDepartment of Electromechanical Engineering, University of Beira Interior, Rua Marquês de D’Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, PortugalThe food industry increasingly depends on technological assets to improve the efficiency and accuracy of fruit processing and quality control. This article enhances the application of computer vision with collaborative robotics to create a non-destructive system. The system can automate the detection and handling of fruits, particularly tomatoes, reducing the reliance on manual labor and minimizing damage during processing. This system was developed with a Raspberry Pi 5 to capture images of the fruit using a PiCamera module 3. After detecting the object, a command is sent to a Universal Robotics UR3e robotic arm via Ethernet cable, using Python code that integrates company functions and functions developed specifically for this application. Four object detection models were developed using the TensorFlow Object Detection API, converted to TensorFlow Lite, to detect two types of fruit (tomatoes) using deep learning techniques. Each fruit had two versions of the models. The models obtained 67.54% mAP for four classes and 64.66% mAP for two classes, A rectangular work area was created for the robotic arm and computer vision to work together. After 640 manipulation tests, a reliable area of 262 × 250 mm was determined for operating the system. In fruit sorting facilities, this system can be employed to automatically classify fruits based on size, ripeness, and quality. This ensures consistent product standards and reduces waste by sorting fruits according to pre-defined criteria. The system’s ability to detect multiple fruit types with high accuracy enables it to integrate into existing workflows, thereby increasing productivity and profitability for food processing companies. Additionally, the non-destructive nature of this technology allows for the inspection of fruits without causing any damage, ensuring that only the highest-quality produce is selected for further processing. This application can enhance the speed and precision of quality control processes, leading to improved product quality and customer satisfaction.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/21/9727roboticscomputer visionquality controlRaspberry PiUR3e |
| spellingShingle | Estêvão Vale Filho Luan Lang Martim L. Aguiar Rodrigo Antunes Nuno Pereira Pedro Dinis Gaspar Computer Vision as a Tool to Support Quality Control and Robotic Handling of Fruit: A Case Study Applied Sciences robotics computer vision quality control Raspberry Pi UR3e |
| title | Computer Vision as a Tool to Support Quality Control and Robotic Handling of Fruit: A Case Study |
| title_full | Computer Vision as a Tool to Support Quality Control and Robotic Handling of Fruit: A Case Study |
| title_fullStr | Computer Vision as a Tool to Support Quality Control and Robotic Handling of Fruit: A Case Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Computer Vision as a Tool to Support Quality Control and Robotic Handling of Fruit: A Case Study |
| title_short | Computer Vision as a Tool to Support Quality Control and Robotic Handling of Fruit: A Case Study |
| title_sort | computer vision as a tool to support quality control and robotic handling of fruit a case study |
| topic | robotics computer vision quality control Raspberry Pi UR3e |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/21/9727 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT estevaovalefilho computervisionasatooltosupportqualitycontrolandrobotichandlingoffruitacasestudy AT luanlang computervisionasatooltosupportqualitycontrolandrobotichandlingoffruitacasestudy AT martimlaguiar computervisionasatooltosupportqualitycontrolandrobotichandlingoffruitacasestudy AT rodrigoantunes computervisionasatooltosupportqualitycontrolandrobotichandlingoffruitacasestudy AT nunopereira computervisionasatooltosupportqualitycontrolandrobotichandlingoffruitacasestudy AT pedrodinisgaspar computervisionasatooltosupportqualitycontrolandrobotichandlingoffruitacasestudy |