Internal Apple Defect Detection Using X-ray

All apples sold in the United States for fresh pack or processing must pass an inspection for quality. The current manual inspection process for internal defects is slow, subjective, and inaccurate. While automated systems have been developed for color, size, and surface defect inspection, no system is available for automatic internal defect detection in apples. This proposed project will develop an automated x-ray based imaging system for inspection of internal defects in apples. The results of our Phase I study prove the feasibility of the process. The work will be conducted to test and integrate the four components of the system - image capture, image analysis, transport, and system software. We will determine the x-ray exposure duration, synchronize the amorphous panel to the x-ray generator and conveyor, and refine image analysis algorithms to detect internal apple defects in real-time.