Quality Inspection and Grading of Agricultural and Food Products by Computer Vision-a Review

Abstract

The paper presents the recent development and application of image analysis and computer vision system in quality evaluation of products in the field of agricultural and food. It is very much essential to through light on basic concepts and technologies associated with computer vision system, a tool used in image analysis and automated sorting and grading is highlighted. In India the ever-increasing population, losses in handling and processing and the increased expectation of food products of high quality and safety standards, there is a need for the growth of accurate, fast and objective quality determination of food and agricultural products. Computer vision is a rapid, economic, consistent and objective inspection technique, which has expanded into many diverse industries. Its speed and accuracy satisfy ever-increasing production and quality requirements, hence aiding in the development of totally automated processes. This non-destructive method of inspection has found applications in the agricultural and food industry, including the inspection of quality and grading of fruit and vegetable. It has also been used successfully in the analysis of grain characteristics and in the evaluation of foods such as potato chips, meats, cheese and pizza. This paper reviews the progress of computer vision in the agricultural and food field then explores different possible areas of research having a wider scope to enhance the existing algorithms to meet the today " s challenges.