JPH0787477A - Method for automatic selection and sorting and system for selection and sorting - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a method for automatic selection and sorting and the system for selection and sorting in which the shape and size of strawberries are measured contactlessly and strawberries are selected and sorted accurately and quickly automatically. CONSTITUTION:A strawberry selection sorting system 1 is provided with a carrier mechanism 2 carrying strawberries 10, a camera 30 picking up the carried strawberries at a 1st position, a picture processing mechanism 4 discriminating the shape and size of the strawberries based on a picked-up picture, and a sorting mechanism sorting the discriminated strawberries to prescribed areas for each class according to the result of discrimination. The strawberries are lighted from a lower side of a transparent carrier path 9 at the 1st position and picked up from a direction opposite to the lighting direction. The picture thus picked-up is threshold processed into the shadow of the strawberries and the other part at a computer 40 and the binarized signal is discriminated for the shape and size through arithmetic processing.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic sorting and sorting method and a sorting and sorting system for automatically sorting objects according to their size and / or shape to sort them into grades, and particularly to various shapes and sizes. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an automatic strawberry sorting and sorting system and a sorting and sorting system that automatically sorts strawberries having different sizes and sorts them into each grade.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, the taste, color, luster, shape, size, freshness, etc. that determine the commercial value of agricultural crops are
It depends on the harvesting method or shipping method. In particular, since strawberries are soft and easily scratched, they are difficult to handle, and careful handling is required when handling, collecting, sorting, and shipping strawberries. Strawberries having various shapes and sizes are sorted according to grade and packaged so as to eliminate variations in products. And
It will be sold at a price commensurate with each grade.

For example, in Miyazaki prefecture, strawberry harvested based on "Miyazaki strawberry standard shipping standard" issued by the agricultural cooperative association is manually selected for each farmer. This "Miyazaki Strawberry Standard Shipping Standard" shows selection criteria for selecting strawberries for each grade by paying attention to color, shape, and size. Sakizawa's selection criteria include complete clothes in which the whole strawberry is colored red and unfinished clothes that are pale in the vicinity of the base of the squat and have not been colored in red yet.The unfinished clothes depend on the state of Sazawa. It is further classified into 5 to 8 minutes. In addition, there are A, B, and C grades as the shape selection criteria. The A grade is a standard triangle type (A1 grade product) and a pointed top (A2 grade product). , Including slightly square (A3 grade) and slightly round (A4 grade) grade B has some depressions and irregularities, and grade C has significant irregularities on the top Some have or have two constrictions. Furthermore, there are 2L, L, M, S, and 2S as size selection criteria.

Usually, the strawberries harvested in the morning are sorted according to the above-mentioned sorting criteria and packed in the same day, and shipped in the early morning of the next day.

[0005]

Since strawberries are soft and easily damaged, it is necessary to handle them one by one when harvesting, sorting, sorting and shipping.
In addition, strawberries have various shapes and sizes, and it is necessary to select the shapes and sizes for each grade in order to enhance the commercial value. In particular, the criteria for selecting strawberries are complicated, and because selecting strawberries is a work that involves determining the shape and size, considerable skill is required, and the selection work is performed by the workers who perform the sorting work. Individual differences occur in the standard, and it is difficult to accurately select strawberries according to a certain selection standard. Therefore, for example, when 15,000 or more strawberries are harvested by one farmer per day, it takes a lot of time to sort each strawberry, and the sorting work may take until midnight. is there. Also, the shipping period for strawberries is about 6
Since it lasts for a month, not only is it troublesome, but the labor burden on the nerve-intensive work is very large.

Further, in order to maintain good strawberry quality, it is desirable to shorten the time from harvesting to shipping as much as possible. Therefore, since the amount of harvest is large, it takes time for the sorting work, and when the time from harvesting to shipping is long, the quality may deteriorate.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to measure the shape and size of a strawberry without contact, and to accurately and quickly according to a predetermined selection standard.
Moreover, it is to provide an automatic sorting and sorting method and a sorting and sorting system capable of automatically sorting grades of strawberries.

[0008]

According to the method of the present invention, a conveying step of conveying a plurality of objects which are continuously supplied and stopping at a predetermined position, and an illumination for illuminating the object at the predetermined position And a photographing step of photographing the object at a predetermined distance from the direction opposite to the illumination direction at the predetermined position, and binarizing the photographed image into a shaded portion of the object and other portions. A determining step of counting the number of pixels in the shaded area and determining the size of the object from the number of pixels; and a step of classifying the object according to the size according to the determination result.

Further, according to the method of the present invention, a carrying step of carrying a plurality of objects continuously supplied and stopping at a predetermined position, an illuminating step of illuminating the object at the predetermined position, A photographing step of photographing the object at a predetermined position at a predetermined distance from a direction opposite to the illumination direction, and binarizing the photographed image into a shaded portion of the object and a portion other than the shaded portion to obtain the shaded portion. A ratio of the length of the longest pixel row in the horizontal direction to the length of a pixel row at a predetermined position of the shadow portion, a ratio of an area of a part of the shadow portion and an area including a part of the shadow portion, To a determination step of determining the shape of the object, and a classification step of classifying the object according to the determination result.

Further, according to the method of the present invention, a carrying step of carrying a plurality of objects which are continuously supplied and stopping at a predetermined position, an illuminating step of illuminating the object at the predetermined position, and A photographing step of photographing the object at a predetermined position at a predetermined distance from a direction opposite to the illumination direction, and binarizing the photographed image into a shaded portion of the object and a portion other than the shaded portion to obtain the shaded portion. Count the number of pixels in
The size of the object is determined from the number of pixels, and the ratio of the length of the longest horizontal pixel row of the shaded portion to the length of the pixel row at a predetermined position of the shaded portion and one of the shaded portions are determined. The ratio of the area of the part and the area including a part of the shaded part,
From the above, a determining step of determining the shape of the object, and a dividing step of classifying the object according to the size and the shape according to the determination result are provided.

Further, according to the system of the present invention, a conveying means for conveying a plurality of continuously supplied objects and stopping at a predetermined position, an illuminating means for illuminating the object at the predetermined position, and A photographing means for photographing the object at a predetermined position at a predetermined distance from the direction opposite to the illumination direction, and the photographed image is binarized into a shaded portion of the object and the other portion, and the shaded portion. The determination means for counting the number of pixels of (1) and determining the size of the object based on the number of pixels, and the classification means for classifying the object according to the size of the determination result.

Further, according to the system of the present invention, a conveying means for conveying a plurality of continuously supplied objects and stopping at a predetermined position, an illuminating means for illuminating the object at the predetermined position, A photographing means for photographing the object at a predetermined position at a predetermined distance from the direction opposite to the illumination direction, and the photographed image is binarized into a shaded portion of the object and the other portion, and the shaded portion. A ratio of the length of the longest pixel row in the horizontal direction to the length of a pixel row at a predetermined position of the shadow portion, a ratio of an area of a part of the shadow portion and an area including a part of the shadow portion, From the above, there is provided a judging means for judging the shape of the object, and a separating means for separating the object according to the judgment result.

Further, according to the system of the present invention, a conveying means for conveying a plurality of continuously supplied objects and stopping at a predetermined position, an illuminating means for illuminating the object at the predetermined position, A photographing means for photographing the object at a predetermined position at a predetermined distance from the direction opposite to the illumination direction, and the photographed image is binarized into a shaded portion of the object and the other portion, and the shaded portion. Counting the number of pixels, determining the size of the object from the number of pixels, and
Of the ratio of the length of the longest horizontal pixel row of the shaded portion to the length of the pixel row at a predetermined position of the shaded portion, the area of a portion of the shaded portion and the area including a portion of the shaded portion. A determining means for determining the shape of the object from the ratio, and a dividing means for classifying the object according to the determination result according to size and shape.

[0014]

According to the automatic sorting / sorting system and the sorting / sorting system of the present invention, a plurality of objects continuously passing through the transport path by the transport means are temporarily stopped at predetermined positions in the transport path. The object stopped at the predetermined position is illuminated by the illumination means. An object illuminated at a predetermined position is photographed from a direction opposite to the illumination direction by a photographing means arranged at a predetermined distance from the object. Then, the portion where the object is photographed is photographed as a shadow due to the backlight, and the region other than the object is photographed as white when reflected by light. The image captured in this way is binarized by the CPU as the determination means by clearly separating the shaded portion in which the object is captured and the other portion. Also, the determination means,
The number of pixels in the shaded area of the binarized image is counted, the size of the object is determined from this number of pixels, and this shaded area is divided vertically and horizontally for each pixel pitch, A length ratio is calculated, the shape of the object is determined from the length ratio, and the object grade is determined. In this way, the classifying means classifies the objects whose grades have been determined.

Then, an object is continuously supplied to the conveying path,
By stopping the transport path at a predetermined position and moving intermittently, the shape and size of the object can be determined without contact, and the grade of the object can be determined accurately, quickly, and automatically according to predetermined sorting criteria. can do. Therefore, the crops are not damaged as in the case of the conventional selection by weight used for the selection work of crops or the size selection using holes.

Further, according to the present invention, the transport means is a disc-shaped turntable formed as a transparent transport path at least in the vicinity of the circumference on which the object is placed, and the turntable. Drive means for rotationally driving the table, a plurality of transparent support members attached at a constant interval along the conveying path, and positioning holes formed on the turntable corresponding to the support members. And a sensor for detecting the positioning hole. The turntable is rotated by the drive means and conveys the object on the support member. When the object reaches a predetermined position, the sensor detects the positioning hole and temporarily stops the turntable. The object that has been transported to a predetermined position and has been stopped for a while is illuminated by the illumination means from below the transparent transport path and is photographed by the imaging means from above the transport path.

Further, according to the present invention, the sorting means includes a finger for scooping up the object in a buffer manner, and an arm for conveying the finger holding the object to the sorting position determined by the determination means. Is a robot equipped with. The objects whose grades have been determined by the determination means are picked up by the fingers from the transport path in a buffered manner, and by moving the arms, they are transported to predetermined division positions that match the grades of the respective objects. At this time, the finger is driven by a solenoid and selects either a holding position where an object can be held or a non-holding position where an object is not held.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An automatic sorting / sorting method and sorting system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. Particularly, a method and system for automatically sorting and sorting strawberries as non-inspections. explain.

As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic sorting / sorting system 1 conveys strawberries 10 in a conveying path 9 and convey mechanism 2 as a conveying means which stops at a first position which is a predetermined position. Strawberry 10 stopped in the first position
A fluorescent lamp 28 as an illuminating means for illuminating the strawberry, a camera 30 as an photographic means for photographing the illuminated strawberry from a direction opposite to the illuminating direction, and the shape and size of the strawberry 10 are determined based on this image. An image processing mechanism 4 as a determination means and a sorting mechanism 6 as a sorting means for sorting the strawberries 10 into grades according to the determination result are provided.

The transport mechanism 2 has, for example, a disc-shaped turntable 8 as shown in FIG. 2, and a transport path near the circumference on which at least a strawberry 10 is placed on the turntable 8. 9
Is transparent, and a plurality of transparent support members 12 are attached at equal intervals along the transport path 9. The support member 12 has a height of 30 mm, a length of 50 mm, and a thickness of 5 m.
Two transparent rectangular plate-shaped acrylic plates 12a, 12b
It consists of The acrylic plates 12a and 12b are arranged at intervals of 30 mm so that their respective surfaces face each other substantially parallel to each other, and the long side direction thereof is substantially aligned with the radial direction of the turntable 8 in the turntable. -It is projectingly provided on the bull 8 and the strawberries 10 are placed on it one by one. Further, the turntable 8 is provided with, for example, positioning holes 14 corresponding to the respective support members 12 on a predetermined circumference inside the conveying path 9 in which the support members 12 are provided.

Further, the transport mechanism 2 is provided with an induction motor 15 for rotationally driving the turntable 8 and a control box 16 for controlling the drive of the induction motor 15. Further, in the control box 16, the positioning hole 1 formed on the turntable 8 is detected in order to detect the positioning hole 14 at a predetermined position.
The optical sensor 18 provided at a predetermined position below the passage through which the passage 4 and the turntable 8 which is stopped when the optical sensor 18 detects the positioning hole 14 are restarted after a certain time has passed, A relay switch board 20 that rotates the turntable 8 until the next positioning hole 14 is detected is connected.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control box 16 includes a power switch 2 of the induction motor 15.
1, a power switch 22 for the optical sensor 18, a main switch 23, a speed control switch 24 for controlling the rotational speed of the turntable 8, and a control pack 25 are provided on the operation panel 26. .

The strawberry 10 stopped at the first position is illuminated by a fluorescent lamp 28 as an illuminating means from below the turntable 8 through the transparent conveying path 9 and the transparent supporting member 12. And strawberry 1 illuminated at this position
0 is photographed from a direction opposite to the illumination direction by a CCD camera 30 as a photographing means provided on the opposite side of the fluorescent lamp 28. On the output side of the CCD camera 30, a camera amplifier 32 for amplifying the output is provided.

The image processing mechanism 4 is provided on the output side of the camera amplifier 32, and is provided on the output side of the camera amplifier 32 and an image digitizer 34 for storing the image data photographed by the CCD camera 30. , The television monitor 36 for displaying the image data and the image data is read from the image digitizer 34, and the data is numerically processed to determine the shape and size of the strawberry 10. And a computer 40.

The size and shape of the strawberry 10 are determined by the computer 40, and the shaded portion of the strawberry 10 (the black portion shown on the television monitor).
And the other part (white part projected on the TV monitor) are binarized by clearly dividing them by density with the computer 40, and the number of pixels and the pixels in the shaded part of the strawberry are processed. The size and shape of the strawberry are determined from the arrangement state of. By performing the arithmetic processing in the computer 40 in this way, the size and shape of the strawberry can be accurately and quickly determined, and the determination criteria of the strawberry 10 can be further subdivided.

The sorting mechanism 6 is, for example, a two-stage type arranging table 38, 39 for placing the strawberry 10 whose grade is judged by the image processing mechanism 4 for each grade, and the grade by the image processing mechanism 4. While picking up the determined strawberry 10 from the second position of the turntable 8 which will be described later,
A robot 42 for placing the strawberry 10 at a predetermined position on the placement tables 38, 39 divided for each grade, and a robot 42 connected to the computer 40 and in accordance with a control signal from the computer 40. And a controller 44 for controlling the operation of the.

The arranging tables 38 and 39 are classified according to the grade of the strawberry 10. For example, a standard type having a substantially triangular shape (A1 grade product) and a pointed top (A2 grade product) are shown in the upper stage. Place one with a slightly square top (A3 grade product) and one with a slightly rounded top (A4 grade product) at the bottom. And in each stage, the size of strawberry is 2L,
It is divided into L, M, S and 2S. Strawberries of grade B or lower are placed, for example, at the lower end.

The robot 42 fixes a finger 46 for holding the strawberry 10 in a buffer manner, an arm 48 for moving the finger 46 to a desired place, and a fixed end of the arm on a workbench (not shown). And a fixed portion 49. The arm 48 is articulated, and the movement from the arm 48 to the finger 46 is similar to the movement of a human arm. Therefore, it is suitable for detailed work such as strawberry sorting work.

As shown in FIG. 4, the finger 46 of the robot 42 is integrally formed with one end side 54a, and the fingers 1
It is held by a claw member 54 composed of three claws 51, 52, 53 formed in an L shape by bending its substantially central part so as to hold 0, and a tip part 48 a of the arm 48. The other end portion 50 having the holding portion 50a for attaching the claw member 54
frame 50 having b, and the other end portion 50 of frame 50
b between the claw member 54 and the claw member 54,
A joint 55 for vertically movable attachment to the frame 50, and a solenoid 56 fixed to the frame 50 for rotating the claw member 54 with the joint 55 as a fulcrum.
And are equipped with. Further, the claws 51 on both sides of the claw member 54,
The bent tip portion of 53 is inclined inward toward the central claw 52 to securely hold the strawberry 10. Also, the surface 5 on the claw member 54 for holding the strawberry
A sponge 58 is provided on each of 4a and 54b so as not to damage the strawberry 10 when holding the strawberry 10.

The solenoid 56 has one end 54a of the claw member 54 via a flexible bendable connecting member 57.
It is connected to the. The solenoid 56 is pulled in the direction of the arrow X when the power is turned on, and the claw member 54 is fixed to a holding position as shown in FIG. When the power of the solenoid 56 is turned off, the claw member 54 rotates about the joint 55 as a fulcrum by the own weight of the strawberry 10 and takes a non-holding position where the strawberry is not held.

The operation of the automatic strawberry automatic sorting / sorting system 1 constructed as described above will be described below according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, when the sorting operation is started, as shown in step 60, the transport mechanism 2, the image processing mechanism 4, and the sorting mechanism 6 are initialized. Then, as shown in step 62, the strawberries 10 are continuously supplied onto the support member 12 provided on the turn table 8 of the conveying mechanism 2, and the conveyance of the strawberries 10 is started.

The turntable 8 of the transport mechanism 2 is rotated by the induction motor 15, and the rotation speed of the induction motor 15 is adjusted by the speed control switch 24 of the control box 16.
The positioning hole 14 of the turntable 8 is the positioning hole 14
Is detected by the optical sensor 18 fixed at a predetermined position below the optical sensor 18, and when the optical sensor 18 detects the positioning hole 14,
Induction motor 1 from control box 16
A control signal is generated for 5 and the turntable 8 is stopped. The stopped turntable 8 is restarted after being stopped for a predetermined time until it is restarted in accordance with a control signal transmitted from the computer 40 via the relay switchboard 20, and the optical sensor 18 is restarted. Is the next positioning hole 14
It is rotated again until is detected. In this way, the control box 16 and the computer 40 control the rotation speed and stop time of the turntable 8 so that the turntable 8 is operated intermittently.

The strawberry 10 which is intermittently conveyed on the intermittently moving conveyance path 9 is stopped at the first position shown in step 64. Strawberry 10 stopped in the first position,
In this position, the fluorescent lamp 28 illuminates from below the turntable 8. The light of the fluorescent lamp 28 is preferably coffee.
It is rent light and illuminates the strawberry 10 through the transparent conveying path 9 and the support member 12. The strawberry 10 stopped at the first position is illuminated in this way and at the same time the turntable is turned on.
An image is taken by the CCD camera 30 provided above the bull 8 at a predetermined interval (step 66). In this way, when the strawberry 10 is photographed by the backlight method, the strawberry 10
The image of is taken as black as a shadow, and the other parts are taken as white due to the reflection of light. The captured image is
It is temporarily stored in the image digitizer 34 shown in step 70.

When the shooting of the strawberry 10 is completed, the computer 40 outputs the image data from the image digitizer 34.
At the same time as reading the data, a control signal is transmitted to the control box 16 via the relay switch board 20, and the transport of the turntable 8 is restarted as shown in step 72. The strawberry 10 conveyed from the first position is conveyed to a second position next to the first position according to the intermittent operation of the turntable 8. That is, the positioning hole 14
Are provided at equal rotation angles, the strawberry 10 as the non-inspection object is conveyed to the second position, and at the same time, the positioning hole 14 in the subsequent stage is detected at the first position, and the tante Bull 8 will be stopped. Therefore, the strawberry conveyed from the first position is stopped at the second position (step 74).

On the other hand, the image data read from the image digitizer 34 into the computer 40 is judged while the strawberry 10 as the non-inspection object is conveyed from the first position to the second position. It is processed by means. here,
In order to clearly separate the shaded portion (image of strawberry) of the image and the other portions, the image is divided into two by the computer 40.
The valuation process is performed and the grade of the strawberry 10 is determined as shown in step 80. The binarized image data is supplied to the television monitor 36 and displayed as a binarized image as shown in step 68.

Here, the method for deciding the grade of the strawberry 10 by digitizing the size and shape of the strawberry 10 from the binarized image data and comparing this value with a reference value will be described in detail. .

First, a method of determining the size of the strawberry 10 will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. When the size determination operation is started, the computer 40
Image data is fetched from the image digitizer 34 (step 90). Then, the density of the image data is measured,
The image of the strawberry 10 is binarized by setting the portion where the shadow is photographed as black and the other portion as white (step 9).
2). Next, the number of pixels occupied by the shaded portion of the binarized image is counted, the area of the shaded portion is calculated from this number of pixels, and the size of the strawberry 10 is digitized (step 94).
Then, the size of the strawberry 10 is judged by comparing this value with a predetermined reference value (step 96). The number of pixels in the shaded area of strawberry 10 is about 4000 to 10000.
And the area of one pixel (about 0.0012
The area of the shaded area is calculated by multiplying by 6 cm ² .

A method for determining the shape of the strawberry 10 will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. When the shape determining operation is started, the computer 40 takes in image data from the image digitizer 34 (step 91). Then, the density of the image data is measured, and the image is binarized by setting the portion where the shade of the strawberry 10 is photographed as black and the other portion as white (step 93).
Then, the aspect ratio, the width ratio, and the area ratio are calculated from the shaded portion of the binarized image by a method described later to digitize the shape (step 95). Then, the shape is determined by comparing these measured values with respective reference values (step 97).

Since it is important to accurately determine the shape of the tip portion when determining the shape, the above-mentioned 3
The shape is determined by comparing two measured values (aspect ratio, width ratio, area ratio) with respective reference values. The aspect ratio, width ratio, and area ratio measuring methods differ depending on the type and product type of non-inspection items, and the reference value for determining the grade is newly set according to the type and product type of non-inspection items. To be done. The calculation methods of these aspect ratio, width ratio, and area ratio are shown below.

When calculating the aspect ratio, as shown in FIG. 8, first, each pixel of the shaded portion 82 of the strawberry 10 is set to 1 for each pixel pitch from the tip end portion to the base end portion (leaf portion) of the strawberry. The longest pixel row length X by scanning line by line
Measure 0. Next, the length Y0 from the pixel row X0 to the tip of the strawberry is measured. Then, the aspect ratio Y0 / X0 is obtained.

When the width ratio is calculated, as shown in FIG. 9, for example, the length Xm of the pixel row at a position corresponding to 30% of Y0 from the tip is measured, and the length from the pixel row Xm to the tip is measured. Measure Ym. Similarly, 10 from the tip to Y0
The length Xn of the pixel row at the position corresponding to% is measured, and the pixel row X
Measure the length Yn from n to the tip. Then, the aspect ratio of each is calculated to obtain the width ratio Ym / Xm + Yn / Xn
To get

When calculating the area ratio, FIG.
As shown in (A) and (B), the area S1 of the rectangle ABCD is measured when the longest pixel row X0 is the base and the length Y0 from the pixel row X0 to the tip is the height. The area S2 of the shaded area included in this rectangle ABCD
Is measured to obtain the area ratio S2 / S1.

The digitized size and shape of the strawberry 10 are compared with, for example, a threshold value (reference value) as shown in FIG. 11, the size and shape are determined, and the grade is determined. This threshold value is set for each grade based on the strawberry standard shipping specification table. For the grade of strawberry 10, for example, the shape of strawberry 10 is classified into 5 grades of A1 to A4 grade or B grade, and the size of each grade is 2S, S,
By dividing into 5 stages of M, L and 2L, it is divided into 25 stages. Note that the size and shape grade classifications are not limited to this, and can be classified at any stage.

The strawberry 10 whose grade has been determined by the judging means and stopped at the second position is picked up by the robot 42 of the sorting mechanism 6 as shown in step 76. The second position does not necessarily have to be set to the position next to the first position, and can be set to the most preferable position in terms of the configuration of the device.

The finger 46 of the robot 42 has three claws 51, 52, 53 bent in an L-shape at a substantially central portion thereof.
When picking up the strawberry 10 stopped at the second position, the space between the claws 51 and 52 and the claws 52 and 5 are provided.
The claws are inserted under the strawberry 10 so that the acrylic plates 12a and 12b of the support member 12 are located between the three. Then, the claw member 54 is pulled upward at the joint 55 to hold the strawberry 10 on the claw member 54 to pick up the strawberry 10. At this time, the solenoid 56
Is turned on, and the claw member 54 is fixed at the holding position.

The picked-up strawberry 10 is held by the robot 42, moved to a predetermined dividing position according to the determination result of the computer 40, and is divided according to its shape and size as shown in step 78. That is, the determination result of the shape and size of the strawberry 10 by the computer 40 is supplied to the controller 44, and the controller 44 is supplied.
The ra-44 drives and controls the robot 42 according to the determination result. The robot 42 conveys the strawberry 10 to predetermined division positions on the placement tables 38, 39 that are suitable for the grade of the strawberry 10 held. When the strawberry 10 is conveyed to the predetermined sorting position, the power supply of the solenoid of the finger-46 is turned off.
F, the claw member 54 is rotatable around the joint 55 as a fulcrum, the claw member 54 is rotated to the non-holding position by the weight of the strawberry 10, and the strawberry 10 is placed at a predetermined position on the arrangement table. .

By continuously and automatically carrying out the carrying, judging, and sorting operations as described above, a quick sorting operation can be performed. Further, by mechanizing the strawberry sorting operation, accurate sorting can be performed according to a certain sorting standard, and the sorting standard can be subdivided to perform more detailed sorting.

Next, an example of an experiment in which about 450 strawberries are sorted and sorted using the automatic sorting and sorting method and sorting system of the present invention will be described.

As shown in FIG. 12, the strawberry 10 to be classified is, for example, NO. 1-NO. Numbering up to 8, these eight strawberries are supplied to the sorting and sorting system 1 of the present invention. As for the strawberry classification standard, the standard type with a substantially triangular shape is an A1 grade product, the one with a narrow top is an A2 grade product,
The one with a slightly square top is an A3 grade product, the one with a slightly round top is an A4 grade product, the one with a fairly round top or a dented form is a B grade product, and the top is uneven. The necked shape was classified as a C grade and a nonstandard deformity. As a result, the following determination results were obtained. In addition, the determination result is described only for the shape and omitted for the size. NO judgment result 1 A1 grade product 2 A2 grade product 3 A4 grade product 4 A3 grade product 5 Malformed 6 A2 grade product 7 A3 grade product 8 B grade product As a result of the above experiment, the judgment result by the skilled worker By comparison, a hit rate of 95% or more was obtained. Further, in this case, the time required for selecting one strawberry was 2-3 seconds, and a substantially satisfactory result could be obtained.

[0051]

As described above, according to the automatic strawberry sorting system and sorting method of the present invention, the strawberry on the conveying path is illuminated with a fluorescent lamp, and the shadow of the strawberry is photographed from the opposite side with a camera. The shaded portion of the strawberry that appears black and the other portion are clearly distinguished using a computer, the image is binarized, and the binarized image is processed by the computer to determine the shape of the strawberry. The size is judged, and the strawberry is automatically sorted according to the grade based on the judgment result.

Therefore, the shape and size of the strawberry can be measured without contact, and there is no risk of damaging the strawberry by handling. Further, since the image captured by the camera is arithmetically processed and the shape and size of the strawberry are digitized, accurate sorting can be performed according to a predetermined sorting standard. Furthermore,
Since the strawberry can be automatically sorted and sorted by mechanization, the time required for the sorting work can be shortened and the labor required for the sorting work can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an automatic sorting / sorting system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 (a) is a plan view showing a turntable incorporated in the system of FIG. 1. FIG. 2B is a sectional view showing a turntable incorporated in the system of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a control box incorporated into the system of FIG.

4 (a) is a front view showing a finger of a robot of a sorting mechanism incorporated in the system of FIG. 1. FIG. Figure 4
(B) is a side view showing a finger of the robot of the sorting mechanism incorporated in the system of FIG. 1.

5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the system of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation of determining the size of a strawberry.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing a determination operation of a strawberry shape.
Chart.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a shaded portion of a strawberry.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a shaded portion of a strawberry.

10A and 10B are views showing a shaded portion of a strawberry.

FIG. 11 is a view showing threshold values for each strawberry shape set for each grade based on the standard strawberry shipment standard table.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing strawberries experimentally supplied to the system of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Automatic sorting / sorting system, 2 ... Conveying mechanism, 4 ... Image processing mechanism, 6 ... Sorting mechanism, 8 ... Turntable, 9 ... Conveying path, 10 ... Strawberry, 12 ... Support member, 14 ... Positioning hole, 15 ... induction motor, 16 ... control box, 18 ... optical sensor, 20 ... relay switchboard
28, Fluorescent lamp, 30 ... CCD camera, 32 ... Camera amplifier, 34 ... Image digitizer, 36 ... Television monitor, 38, 39 ... Arrangement stand, 40 ... Computer, 4
2 ... robot, 44 ... controller, 46 ... finger, 48 ... arm

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A carrying step of carrying a plurality of objects which are continuously supplied and stopping at a predetermined position, an illuminating step of illuminating the object at the predetermined position, and an illuminating direction opposite to the illuminating direction at the predetermined position. Direction of the object, the object is photographed at a predetermined interval, and the imaged image is binarized into a shaded portion of the object and a portion other than the shaded portion, and the number of pixels in the shaded portion is counted. An automatic selection / sorting method comprising: a determining step of determining the size of the object from the number of pixels; and a sorting step of classifying the object according to size according to the determination result. 2. A carrying step of carrying a plurality of objects which are continuously supplied and stopping at a predetermined position, an illuminating step of illuminating the object at the predetermined position, and an illuminating direction opposite to the illuminating direction at the predetermined position. Direction of the object, and a binarization process of the imaged image into a shaded portion and a portion other than the shaded portion of the object, and the longest horizontal pixel row of the shaded portion. Of the shape of the object is determined from the ratio of the length of the pixel row to the length of the pixel row at the predetermined position of the shadow portion, and the ratio of the area of a part of the shadow portion and the area including a part of the shadow portion. An automatic selection / sorting method comprising: a determining step; and a sorting step of sorting the object by shape according to the determination result. 3. A transportation step of transporting a plurality of continuously supplied objects and stopping at a predetermined position, an illumination step of illuminating the object at the predetermined position, and an illumination direction opposite to the illumination direction at the predetermined position. Direction of the object, the object is photographed at a predetermined interval, and the imaged image is binarized into a shaded portion of the object and a portion other than the shaded portion, and the number of pixels in the shaded portion is counted. The size of the object is determined from the number of pixels, and the ratio of the length of the longest horizontal pixel row of the shaded portion to the length of the pixel row at a predetermined position of the shaded portion, and a part of the shaded portion A step of determining the shape of the object from the ratio of the area of the object and the area including a part of the shaded portion, and a step of classifying the object by size according to the determination result and by shape Is characterized by Automatic sorting classification method. 4. The conveying step, wherein at least the object is mounted on a disk-shaped turntable through a transparent support member arranged side by side on a transparent conveying path in the vicinity of the circumference on which the object is placed. The turntable is rotated while supporting the same, and when the sensor detects a plurality of positioning holes formed in the turntable corresponding to the support member, the turntable is turned on. The method for automatically sorting and sorting according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the method is once stopped. 5. The automatic sorting / sorting method according to claim 4, wherein the illuminating step illuminates an object stopped at the predetermined position from below the turntable. 6. The sectioning step buffers the object by a finger of a robot driven to a holding position capable of holding the object by driving a solenoid, and holds the object by the finger. The automatic sorting / sorting method according to claim 1, wherein the object is moved to a predetermined sorting position determined according to the determination result. 7. Conveying means for conveying a plurality of continuously supplied objects and stopping at a predetermined position, illuminating means for illuminating the object at the predetermined position, and an illuminating direction opposite to the illuminating direction at the predetermined position. Direction, the photographing means for photographing the object at a predetermined distance from each other, and the photographed image is binarized into a shaded portion of the object and a portion other than the shaded portion, and the number of pixels in the shaded portion is counted, An automatic selection / sorting system comprising: a determining unit that determines the size of the object from the number of pixels; and a sorting unit that classifies the object according to the determination result. 8. Conveying means for conveying a plurality of objects which are continuously supplied and stopping at a predetermined position, illuminating means for illuminating the object at the predetermined position, and an illuminating direction opposite to the illuminating direction at the predetermined position. Image pickup means for taking an image of the object at a predetermined distance from the direction, and the taken image is binarized into a shaded portion of the object and the other portion, and the longest horizontal pixel row of the shaded portion. Of the shape of the object is determined from the ratio of the length of the pixel row to the length of the pixel row at the predetermined position of the shadow portion, and the ratio of the area of a part of the shadow portion and the area including a part of the shadow portion. An automatic sorting / sorting system comprising: a determining unit; and a sorting unit that sorts the object according to a shape of the determination. 9. A transporting means for transporting a plurality of continuously supplied objects and stopping at a predetermined position, an illuminating means for illuminating the object at the predetermined position, and an illuminating direction opposite to the illuminating direction at the predetermined position. Direction, the photographing means for photographing the object at a predetermined distance from each other, and the photographed image is binarized into a shaded portion of the object and a portion other than the shaded portion, and the number of pixels in the shaded portion is counted, The size of the object is determined from the number of pixels, and the ratio of the length of the longest horizontal pixel row of the shaded portion to the length of the pixel row at a predetermined position of the shaded portion, and a part of the shaded portion Determining means for determining the shape of the object from the ratio of the area of the object and the area including a part of the shaded portion, and a means for classifying the object according to the determination result by size and by shape. Is characterized by Automatic sorting system. 10. The transport means comprises: a transport path which is transparent at least in the vicinity of the circumference on which the object is placed; and a transparent support member which supports the plurality of objects at equal intervals along the transport path. , A disk-shaped turntable having a plurality of positioning holes formed corresponding to the support member, a sensor for detecting the positioning hole, and a rotational drive of the turntable. 10. The automatic apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: a driving unit that temporarily stops the turn table when the sensor detects the positioning hole. Sorting system. 11. The automatic sorting / sorting system according to claim 10, wherein said illuminating means illuminates an object stopped at said predetermined position from below said turntable. 12. The sorting means selects either a holding position capable of holding the object or a non-holding position not holding the object by driving a solenoid, and the object is held at the holding position. A finger for holding the buffer and an arm for moving the object held by the finger to a predetermined division position determined according to the determination result.
The automatic sorting / sorting system according to claim 7, wherein the automatic sorting / sorting system is a robot including a robot.