Feasibility of using 3D MultiSpectral Imaging for enhanced classification of fruit ripeness and disease

In light of the increasing difficulty for fruit farmers to source manual workers to pick soft fruits, there is an increasing need for the development of automatic picking systems, for fruit. This project is focused on assessing the advantages and suitability of a 3D multiSpectral imaging system for use in automatic picking systems. A reduction in manual labour to pick fruit will in turn require that an automated system also needs to play a role in disease surveillance on leaves and fruit. The development of new sensors using 3D imaging may allow detection of pre-symptomatic disease presence and improve the scheduling of fruit harvesting. The project is to assess the feasibility of this new sensor technology with both laboratory and field fruit growing applications and compare to existing technology, using the assessment expertise of Rothamsted Research and the facilities and equipment of Crop Health and Protection Ltd (CHAP) - one of the UK Agri Tech centres This project will trial and test an innovative 3D imaging tool to explore its potential to determine the initial development of diseases in key crops and fruit ripening. This will also be of use to fruit growers, researchers and plant breeders requiring phenotyping.