A Computer Vision and AI-Based System for Real-Time Sizing and Grading of Thai Export Fruits

Source abstract

Thailand’s mango export industry faces significant challenges in meeting stringent international quality standards, particularly the costly phytosanitary X-ray irradiation process. Current fixed-dose irradiation methods result in substantial energy waste due to variations in fruit size. This research presents a low-cost, real-time system that integrates computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize this process. By capturing a single top-view 2D image, the system accurately estimates the three-dimensional characteristics (width, height, and depth) of 'Nam Dok Mai Si Thong' mangoes. This dimensional data is crucial for dynamically adjusting the radiation dose for each fruit, leading to significant reductions in energy consumption and operational costs. Our novel approach utilizes a Linear Regression combined with Co-Kriging (LR+CoK) model to precisely estimate fruit depth from 2D data, a key limitation in previous studies. The system demonstrated high efficacy, achieving a dimensional estimation error (RMSE) of less than 0.46 cm and a size grading accuracy of up to 93.33 percent. This technology not only enhances sorting and grading efficiency but also offers a practical solution to lower the economic and energy burden of phytosanitary treatments, directly improving the sustainability of fruit export operations.