Berry Sorting Machine Vision System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sorting technologies are inadequate for efficiently separating ripe, healthy, and whole berries from other components in the grape harvest, particularly when dealing with sticky berries, as they fail to provide effective qualitative separation and are not compatible with high-volume harvesting processes, leading to low productivity and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A selective sorting machine equipped with a supply system, an artificial vision system, and a processing device that analyzes images to recognize and discriminate berry components, allowing for the selective separation of healthy ripe and whole berries from other components, using a conveyor system that aligns and moves berries in a controlled manner through the vision system for precise sorting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual sorting or traditional mechanical sorting is used, then some foreign bodies can be removed, but productivity is low and costs increase due to inability to handle high-volume harvesting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual and traditional mechanical sorting systems with an automated vision-based sorting system. The system uses cameras to capture images of berries, processes these images to identify quality characteristics, and uses pneumatic actuators to selectively remove unwanted berries. This substitution of mechanical systems with automated optical and pneumatic systems resolves the contradiction by enabling high-speed sorting compatible with modern harvesting volumes while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The sorting system performs self-service by automatically identifying, classifying, and removing unwanted berries without human intervention. The vision system continuously captures images, the processing unit automatically analyzes berry quality based on predefined criteria, and the pneumatic actuators autonomously eject defective berries. This automation enables the system to handle high-volume harvesting efficiently, resolving the productivity limitation of manual sorting while keeping operational complexity low through integrated control.
2Manufacturing precision
If traditional sorting methods are used, then some separation is achieved, but qualitative separation of ripe healthy berries from other components is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a vision-based sorting system that uses optical sensors and image processing to achieve precise qualitative separation of berries. The system captures high-resolution images of moving berries, analyzes color, shape, and other quality characteristics, and identifies ripe healthy berries with high accuracy. This optical-based approach replaces imprecise mechanical sorting methods, achieving manufacturing precision levels necessary for qualitative separation while maintaining high throughput through automated processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The vision system creates optical copies (images) of the berries in motion, allowing detailed analysis of berry characteristics without physical contact or slowing down the conveyor. Multiple cameras capture different views and characteristics simultaneously, enabling comprehensive quality assessment. This copying approach enables precise identification of ripe healthy berries at high speeds, resolving the contradiction between sorting precision and productivity by decoupling measurement from physical handling.
3Productivity
If berries are moved quickly through the sorting system, then productivity increases, but image acquisition and analysis precision decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The vision system uses periodic action by capturing images at specific intervals along the conveyor path rather than attempting continuous analysis. Cameras are positioned to capture berries at optimal moments when they are clearly visible and stationary relative to the sensor. The system processes each image completely before moving to the next, creating a rhythmic pattern of capture-analyze-eject that maintains both high throughput and measurement precision through structured periodic operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-positioning multiple cameras and lighting systems along the conveyor path before berries arrive at the analysis zone. Lighting is pre-configured to illuminate berries optimally, and cameras are pre-focused on the measurement plane. This preliminary preparation ensures that when berries pass through the analysis zone at high speed, images are captured with maximum precision without requiring slowing down the conveyor, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and measurement accuracy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The machine enables efficient and qualitative separation of berries, improving productivity and reducing costs by effectively distinguishing between healthy and unhealthy berries, even when they are sticky, thus enhancing the quality of the grape harvest for wine production.
Implementation Method 1
a vision system comprising an artificial vision device making it possible to acquire images of the components of the crop coming from the feed system
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a selective-sorting berry-harvesting machine consisting of: a supply system (3, 4, 5) which supplies a computer vision system; a computer vision system (6, 7, 8, 9) including an artificial vision device (6) for acquiring images of the harvest components originating from the supply system (3, 4, 5) and a processing device (8) for analysing said images so that the harvest components can be recognised and differentiated according to pre-established criteria; and a system (10) for selectively separating the whole, ripe and healthy berries from the other components of the harvest, controlled by the processing device (8). The invention is characterised in that the supply system (3, 4, 5) is designed such that the harvest can be spread out to form a single layer, the harvest components can be isolated individually and the harvest components, particularly the whole, ripe and healthy berries, can be moved rectilinearly at a controlled speed so that the said components are conveyed individually through the computer vision system (6, 7, 8, 9). The invention is also characterised in that the computer vision system (6, 7, 8, 9) is configured to individualise and locate each element in order to control the selective separation system (10).