MICROWAVE SENSORS FOR MACHINE VISION INSPECTION IN FOOD PROCESSING SYSTEMS

ALTHOUGH AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY IS FINDING WIDESPREAD USE IN MANY INDUSTRIES, THE FOOD INDUSTRY IS ONLY JUST BEGINNING TOINTRODUCE SUCH TECHNOLOGY IN PRODUCTION FACILITIES. IN PARTICULAR, THERE IS A NEED TO INCREASE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS IN A NUMBER OF AREAS INCLUDING NEW SENSORS AND MONITORING SYSTEMS, ROBOTIC TECHNIQUES, AND APPLICATIONS OF VISION SYSTEM FOR PRODUCT EVALUATION AT INTERMEDIATE STAGES AND FOR FINISHED PRODUCTS. TO RESPOND TO THIS NEED, THIS PROPOSAL SUGGESTS THE INCORPORATION OF MICROWAVE SENSORS INTO MACHINE VISION INSPECTION SYSTEMS TO MONITOR PROCESS PARAMETERS SUCH AS FAT AND MOISTURE CONTENT AND PRODUCT SIZE AND SHAPE, AND TO DETECT METALLIC AND NON-METALLIC FOREIGN OBJECT INCLUSIONS. THE PRINCIPAL RESEARCH OBJECTIVES INCLUDE THE DETERMINATION OF SENSITIVITYOF MICROWAVE SENSOR TECHNIQUES TO THE MEASUREMENT OF FAT, MOISTURE CONTENT AND FOREIGN INCLUSIONS IN FOOD SYSTEMS, SELECTION AND CALIBRATION OF MICROWAVE SENSORS TO PROVIDE SIGNATURES FOR INPUT TO MACHINE VISION SYSTEMS, CONDUCT OF APARAMETER STUDY, AND CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF A MICROWAVE SENSORPROTOTYPE SYSTEM FOR EXTENSIVE FIELD TESTING IN PHASE II OF THE PROGRAM. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROPOSED INNOVATION ISTHE ABILITY OF MICROWAVE SENSORS TO PROVIDE MACHINE VISION SIGNATURES OF SURFACE AND DEPTH PHENOMENA OVER A WIDE RANGE OF EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS FOR IN-LINE PROCESSING IN FOOD SYSTEMS.