As apples travel down the conveyor belt , they are scanned using InGaAs and CMOS cameras . The InGaAs camera will show defects beginning to form under the skin that a human eye cannot see ; the CMOS camera will show visible defects .
Moisture content can greatly affect the quality and shelf life of agricultural products . The slight trace of additional moisture can indicate the start of mold .
SUSTAINABLY MEETING INCREASING FOOD DEMANDS
With the world population currently at 7.7 billion and expected to grow to 9.7 billion by 2025 , agricultural companies are challenged to keep up with the increasing demand for high-quality food . They must continually optimize the food sorting and inspection process . Unfortunately , human vision is unreliable as it can confuse similar-looking colors and cannot identify defects under food skin or packaging . However , machine vision can reduce errors in food sorting and packaging by detecting issues a human being would not be able to see . For example , noticing moisture content on or beneath the skin of food , capturing leaky packaging , and distinguishing between foreign objects and goods of similar shapes and colors .
THE TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS
For UV-VIS imaging used in food inspection , Hamamatsu Photonics offers a broad selection of CMOS image sensors in linear and area arrays .
CMOS linear image sensors with high sensitivity from UV to the near-infrared region up to 1100 nm are available in a variety of pixel configurations ( from 128 pixels to 4,096 pixels ), sensitivity , and line speeds .
CMOS area image sensors are available in various array configurations , ranging from 30 x 30 pixels to 1,280 x 1,024 pixels .
InGaAs linear image sensors are suitable for in-line sorting of agricultural products because of their high-speed line rate and high sensitivity . They are available in a variety of cutoff wavelengths , pixel counts and line readout speeds .
InGaAs area image sensors are suitable for hyperspectral imaging . High-speed frame rate , low readout noise and high sensitivity characterize these area arrays . They are available in various cutoff wavelengths , pixel arrays and frame rates .
InGaAs cameras provide plugand-play solutions using 1D or 2D InGaAs image sensors . They are also an easy solution for multispectral / hyperspectral imaging ( HSI ) cameras to be built based on the original camera .
SWIR hyperspectral imaging is just beginning for food processing applications such as almond grading and quality inspection , capable not only of detecting foreign objects but also of grading food such as nuts or identifying ingredients .
Hamamatsu Photonics provides a complete product line with various cutoff wavelengths from 1.7 µ m to 2.5 µ m , also providing options from sensors to modules .
Visit our website to learn more : www . hamamatsu . com
Hamamatsu Photonics UK Email : info @ hamamatsu . co . uk Phone : 01707 294888
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