Bruise Detection of Apples Using Hyperspectral Imaging

Publisher Summary Hyperspectral imaging techniques can provide not only spatial information, as regular imaging systems, but also spectral information for each pixel in an image. This information forms a 3-dimensional “hypercube” that can be analyzed to ascertain minor and/or subtle physical and chemical features in fruits. Thus, a hyperspectral image can be used to detect physical and geometric characteristics such as color, size, shape, and texture. It can also be used to extract some intrinsic chemical and molecular information (such as water, fat, and protein) from a product. The sign of apple bruise damage is physical and chemical change in comparison with sound fruits. Hyperspectral imaging technology has been showing its potential for detecting apple bruises effectively. However, the speed, cost, and processing power required make the technique more suited for research than practical applications. In some applications, the outcomes of a hyperspectral imaging system have been used as a reference to develop multispectral imaging systems for specific applications. New spectral imaging systems with lower costs, wider spectral range, and better dynamic range are becoming commercially available. These factors, in combination with the increasing power of computer technology, will propel the hyperspectral imaging technology into a new and broader arena of practical applications.