ارزيابي صحت تشخيص وجداسازي ميوه گوجه فرنگي بوسيله دستگاه اتوماتيك جداسازي

Effects of Fruit and Machine Parameters on Accuracy of an Automatic Tomato Color Sorting System

An automatic fruit color sorting system should have high operation accuracy as well as high speed and capacity. In order to improve the accuracy, it is useful to investigate the effect of important parameters on system performance. The objective of this research is thus to determine the effects of fruit and machine parameters on detection and ejection accuracy of an optoelectronic tomato color sorting machine. This system consists of an optic head which is designed to develop a reflection of the fruit. Output of the head is then processed in an electronic control system which generates the appropriate signal for ejection or admittance of the fruit in accordance with its color. This is accomplished by sending the signal to an electrical ejector mechanism that affects the sorting operation. In this research, the effect of three independent variables on detection and ejection accuracy of the system has been evaluated. Independent variables and their levels are: percentage of green tomatoes (at three levels of 30%, 60% and 90%), the fruit size (at two levels of 4-6 and 6-8 cm), shape of tomatoes (spherical and ellipsoidal), and slope of the fruit conveyor system (at three levels of 20, 35 and 50 degrees). Results of performance tests indicated that this system could detect and sort red tomatoes from green, yellow and white ones. The evaluated data from this system show that the effect of color (percentage of green tomatoes among non-red ones), slope of the conveyor system, and tomato size on detection and ejection accuracy and interaction effects of color-size on color detection accuracy of the system were significant (p< 0,05). Based on the results, the highest level of accuracy in color detection for non-red tomatoes is associated with slopes lower than 50° and color-size combination 90% green - 4-6 cm size range. The highest ejection accuracy was achieved at slopes lower than 50°, 4-6cm size range, the highest green percentage (90%), and spherical shape of tomato.