Use of Image Analysis in Process Control of High Pressure Water-Jet Peeling and Cutting of Fruits

摘要

The processing procedure is of essential influence when considering quality and hygienic security of an agricultural product. Inadequate treatment is the main reason for quality losses. The working conditions decisively influence the microbiological quality of the process. Extend of physiological damage, change of the biochemical composition, and progress of microbiological degradation depend directly on the kind of treatment. The continuous use of the same cutting tools - without cleaning- reduces the quality of the product through microbiologic contamination. Therefore a method of processing is introduced and replaces the traditional cutting tools and their associated drawbacks by a high pressure water-jet. Furthermore the combination of water-jetcutting, image processing, and robotics facilitate anatomically optimized peeling of a body. This leads to a significant reduction of off-cuts. This paper shows the development of a tool that combines robotics, water-jets, and image processing in a process of peeling and cutting tropical fruits that minimize loss and increase levels of hygiene required by EBLS (European authority for food security). This authority demands assistance of producing companies, e.g., also in third-world countries which wantto export agricultural products to the EU, by partner companies and/or by partners in the intermediate trade from the EU.