Advancing pear sorting with Arinze
The Master’s Program in Data Science in Business and Entrepreneurship at JADS emphasizes solving real-world challenges through applications of data science. One example is the collaboration with Arinze, a Zeeland-based startup, on the Smart Pears project. This project, part of the Data-Driven Food Value Chain (DDFVC) course, focuses on developing AI-driven robots to sort pears—a notoriously difficult fruit to handle due to its shape, color, and fragility.
The Challenge
Sorting pears efficiently is a significant challenge in the agri-food sector. Pears are highly variable in shape, size, and color, with strict quality standards and fragile surfaces that demand precision during handling. Arinze’s Smart Pears project aims to overcome these difficulties by developing a self-learning robotic system capable of sorting and packaging pears autonomously.
To achieve this, Arinze partnered with JADS in 2022 to bring in cutting-edge data science expertise and leverage the creativity and problem-solving skills of its students. This collaboration also builds on the foundational research conducted by earlier JADS student teams, enhancing innovation in this space.
What the students did
As part of the DDFVC course, JADS students worked on a real-world application of computer vision and AI to advance the Smart Pears project. Their primary task was to design a system capable of identifying substandard pears by analyzing conveyor belt images from a sorting plant.
Using object segmentation techniques, the students developed a model to detect defects such as discoloration or deformities while ensuring the sorting process minimized damage to the fruit. Building on this foundational work, new developments include integrating neural network analysis with soft grip robotics to enhance both identification and handling processes.
JADS student Cees Maessen, under the supervision of Rogier Brussee, has continued this project, focusing on improving accuracy in distinguishing good from bad pears using AI image analysis. For his resulting thesis, he won the Unilever Research Prize!
The Result
The collaboration between JADS and Arinze has brought the Smart Pears project closer to realizing autonomous pear sorting robots. The early exploratory work by students laid the foundation for advanced systems now incorporating robotics and neural networks for precision sorting.
In 2023, René Slabbekoorn returned to JADS to share the project’s progress and inspire the next generation of students. He showcased a prototype pear sorting robot that combines soft grip technology for gentle handling with AI-driven image recognition to select quality pears accurately.
The partnership has evolved into a long-lasting cooperation, fostering innovation while providing students with practical skills and valuable insights into industrial applications of data science.
The more we understand, the better we can sort pears.
The more we understand, the better we can sort pears.
“The Smart Pears project is a demonstration project for autonomous self-learning sorting and packaging robots for pear sorting. The pear is the most challenging fruit variety to sort and pack because of the many shape variations, curves, different colors on the same pear, the fragility of the fruit and the associated quality requirements. To develop a system that can properly deal with these characteristics, it is necessary to understand all aspects as well as possible. The more we understand, the better we can sort pears. JADS’ knowledge and expertise in data-science and artificial intelligence is a welcome contribution to the Smart Pears project.”
Tackling a very real, practical problem in the industry
Tackling a very real, practical problem in the industry
“I worked on a large team assignment to design a system tackling a very real, practical problem in the industry with a clear production use-case and motivation in mind. It focused on a computer vision approach using object segmentation in order to detect rotten or otherwise substandard pears on conveyor belt photos from a sorting plant.”
Why partner up with JADS
JADS provides innovative data science programs at undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate level, conducts cutting edge data science research and offers great business opportunities with a continually growing ecosystem. From startups to SMEs and large corporates, our business partners gain access to talent, high level knowledge and business opportunities.
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