Spectral imaging enables fruit yield estimation

Accurate fruit yield estimation early in the growing cycle allows fruit growers to plan and optimize many aspects of their businesses, from growing through picking and packing to marketing. Early yield estimation requires green fruits to be counted within the green canopy by using unique wavelengths to distinguish between the fruits and the canopy.

The Challenge

As with any outdoor application, the orchard environment is challenging for imaging systems in general and especially for multispectral imaging because of varying light conditions, many shadows, stray light, etc. In addition, the scanning geometry is complicated, requiring the ability to scan large targets from a short distance. The scanning distance is typically 1.5 meters for trees with a height of 3 to 4 meters. Another challenge is the fact that the cameras must be mounted on many different types of agricultural vehicles which can be operated with varying speeds across uneven ground, necessitating higher frame rates to eliminate motion blur.

The Solution

Multispectral images are collected as a video stream using a vehicle-mounted imaging system. Sophisticated image analysis and artificial intelligence is applied to the images to predict the number of fruits in the orchard. To achieve reliable results, a powerful, reliable, flexible, and robust multispectral camera is required to feed images to the analysis engine. JAI´s Fusion Series “Flex Eye” prism-based multispectral camera successfully meets these high requirements. It is operated by a high-performance NVIDIA JETSON embedded system.

The Benefits

JAI´s new generation Fusion Flex Eye camera gives the builder of the fruit yield inventory system the ability to choose the desired spectral bands at a reasonable cost. This is a significant advantage for projects where the needed wavelengths have been predefined. Cameras with standard wavebands are unsuitable for this kind of application, making JAI’s Fusion Flex Eye technology the perfect solution, given its flexibility and the possibility of customization. In addition, the camera’s high-speed interface and high frame rate allows vehicles to move at almost unlimited speed within the orchard while still providing good spatial resolution and sufficient robustness for use in a demanding outdoor application.

The Camera

JAI’s innovative Fusion Flex-Eye technology offers the flexibility to design the perfect multispectral camera to meet the requirements of imaging systems in demanding applications. Flex-Eye combines JAI´s Fusion Series of prism-based multispectral area scan cameras with a custom design process where the number of wavebands, the sensor resolution, and the ideal spectral range for each channel can be specified to meet specific application requirements.

Learn more about JAI's Fusion Flex-Eye technology here!