Abstract
The fruit-tracking system described in this article estimated in real-time (60 Hz) the size and position of a valid fruit region in color images. This information was used to control the motion of a fruit-picking robot. Statistical classification of color pixels was employed to improve image processing under the variety of imaging conditions encountered in a grove. Manual specification of valid fruit colors was possible through interactive training sessions. Object-oriented aperture control allowed adjustment of image exposure based on the illumination level of a targeted fruit. This feature increased the dynamic illumination range of the tracking system by ignoring excessively dark or bright background conditions. The performance of the fruit-tracking system was evaluated with off-line tests and under actual operating conditions.
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This work is part of Florida Agriculture Experiment Station Journal Series No. 9576.
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Harrell, R.C., Slaughter, D.C. & Adsit, P.D. A fruit-tracking system for robotic harvesting. Machine Vis. Apps. 2, 69–80 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01212369
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01212369