Express method and device for definition of potato tubers parameters

P. Daskalov, D. Alikhanov, R. Tshonev, Z. Shynybaj

Abstract: An express method is developed for calculation of morphological parameters of potatoes, based on acquisition and processing of potato images. The informative features describing potato form sizes are: length (a), width (b), area of longitudinal section (S) formed in a XY plane and perimeter of longitudinal section (L). The definition of the potato form includes two coefficients: the traditional (K1), equal to the ratio between potato length (a) to potato width (b) and a new coefficient of the form (K) equal to the relation of the squared image perimeter (L2) to the area (S). For carrying out the experimental part of the research a device is developed consisting of web camera, computer equipped with LabVIEW software (National Instruments Vision Assistant 8.5 and LabVIEW), and a working surface. The algorithm for acquisition and processing of the images is developed in LabVIEW environment (Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation Engineering Workbench) using graphic programming language "G". The experimental installation provides also an opportunity of visual inspection of the object images. Nine varieties of potatoes from Kazakhstan 2011 crop selection are tested. The tests are held in the Kazakh scientific research institute of potato and vegetable growing and the institute has confirmed the express method efficiency and device work reliability. The express method increases 5 times the analysis productivity and enables storing the quantitative information for the potato features in a digital form.

Keywords: image processing; LabVIEW; morphological parameters of potatoes

Date published: 2019-02-20