QualySense, based in Dübendorf, Switzerland, has installed hyperspectral sensors to analyse and sort grain, seeds and beans. The Hyperspec Extended VNIR sensors from Headwall Photonics, which operate in the spectral range of 550-1,650nm, are designed to provide precise analysis of seeds and grains.
Through collaboration with Headwall, the QualySense QSorter systems will be able to classify and sort grains based on nutrients and contamination levels. Waste will be minimised because hyperspectral sensing has the ability to eliminate only those seeds and grains that specific algorithms deem to be of poor quality. Foods made from those commodities will be more effectively processed, utilised, and priced based on quality parameters assessed during the high-throughput, hyperspectral inspection process.
Dr Francesco Dell'Endice, QualySense CEO, said: ‘Food producers need a highly resolved way of determining protein and oil content, colour, size and other meaningful characteristics while increasing product consistency. Hyperspectral sensing represents a tremendous technical leap forward because it gives our customers a new view on quality. Headwall's Hyperspec sensor provides exceptional spectral and spatial imaging and does so with the processing power required for high-throughput food inspection.’
