Fish Abdominal Cavity Inspection With Spectral Monochrome Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fish evisceration systems using color cameras for abdominal cavity inspection suffer from reduced resolution, long exposure times, and computational intensity, limiting conveyor speed and inspection reliability.
Innovation Solution
A method and device utilizing black-and-white optical imagers with active illumination from specific spectral ranges, capturing image sequences with short exposure times and controlled intervals, and evaluating images for quality parameters to ensure high-speed and accurate inspection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a color camera with Bayer filter is used for inspection, then color information is captured, but the effective resolution is significantly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection system is segmented into multiple monochrome cameras, each equipped with a specific color filter (red, green, or blue). Each camera captures only its designated wavelength range, avoiding the resolution loss of a single color camera while collectively providing complete color information through image fusion.
Solution Approach 2:
Color filters are introduced as intermediary elements between the light source and the camera sensors. These filters selectively transmit specific wavelength ranges to each monochrome camera, enabling spectral decomposition without the resolution penalty of a Bayer filter.
2Loss of information
If a color camera with Bayer filter is used for inspection, then color information is captured, but exposure times become correspondingly long
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection system is segmented into multiple monochrome cameras, each equipped with a specific color filter (red, green, or blue). Each camera captures only its designated wavelength range, avoiding the resolution loss of a single color camera while collectively providing complete color information through image fusion.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the spectral parameter of illumination by using LED arrays that can emit specific wavelength ranges. By matching the illumination spectrum to the filter characteristics of each camera, the system maximizes light transmission and minimizes exposure time while maintaining color information capture.
3Productivity
If the fish are transported at high speed, then productivity increases, but the images become blurred and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination devices operate in periodic flash mode, activating only during the brief exposure interval when each camera captures an image. This synchronized periodic illumination provides sufficient light for short exposure times at high conveyor speeds while minimizing motion blur.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the temporal parameter of illumination by using LED arrays that can emit specific wavelength ranges. By matching the illumination spectrum to the filter characteristics of each camera, the system maximizes light transmission and minimizes exposure time while maintaining color information capture.
4Loss of information
If color image analysis is performed, then color information is available, but computational time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection system is segmented into multiple monochrome cameras, each equipped with a specific color filter (red, green, or blue). Each camera captures only its designated wavelength range, avoiding the resolution loss of a single color camera while collectively providing complete color information through image fusion.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of processing complex color images directly, the system creates simplified spectral copies by capturing monochrome images through specific wavelength filters. These copied spectral information sets are computationally more efficient to process while retaining the essential color differentiation needed for quality inspection.
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
Enables reliable visual inspection of fish abdominal cavities at high conveyor speeds, ensuring high-resolution images and efficient evisceration results.
Implementation Method 1
The illumination devices are preferably formed from LED arrays
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device for optically inspecting the opened abdominal cavity (10) of gutted fish (11), comprising a conveying device (12) designed to convey the fish (11) in the longitudinal direction along a processing line, pivotable flank-holding elements (17) designed to hold open the abdominal cavity (10) of the fish, at least one optical imaging device (21, 22, 23), which is arranged along the processing line and which is designed to record at least one image sequence of abdominal cavity regions of one of the fish (11), which image sequence comprises a plurality of individual images, at least one lighting device (24, 25), which is designed to illuminate the abdominal cavity regions with light of predefined spectral composition at the recording times of the individual images, an evaluating unit (26), which is designed to evaluate the image sequence with respect to specified quality parameters and which is designed, if the evaluation result indicates a deviation from the specified quality parameters, to control an ejection device in order to remove the particular one of the fish (11) from the processing line by ejection.