Identification of Apple Varieties Using a Multichannel Hyperspectral Imaging System

Principles, developments, and applications of spatially resolved spectroscopy in agriculture: a review

Agriculture is the primary source of human survival, which provides the most basic living and survival conditions for human beings. As living standards continue to improve, people are also paying more attention to the quality and safety of agricultural products. Therefore, the detection of agricultural product quality is very necessary. In the past decades, the spectroscopy technique has been widely used because of its excellent results in agricultural quality detection. However, traditional spectral inspection methods cannot accurately describe the internal information of agricultural products. With the continuous research and development of optical properties, it has been found that the internal quality of an object can be better reflected by separating the properties of light, such as its absorption and scattering properties. In recent years, spatially resolved spectroscopy has been increasingly used in the field of agricultural product inspection due to its simple compositional structure, low-value cost, ease of operation, efficient detection speed, and outstanding ability to obtain information about agricultural products at different depths. It can also separate optical properties based on the transmission equation of optics, which allows for more accurate detection of the internal quality of agricultural products. This review focuses on the principles of spatially resolved spectroscopy, detection equipment, analytical methods, and specific applications in agricultural quality detection. Additionally, the optical properties methods and direct analysis methods of spatially resolved spectroscopy analysis methods are also reported in this paper.

Assessing and detection of multiple bruises in peaches based on structured hyperspectral imaging

This study aimed to detect various types of postharvest damages in peaches based on structured hyperspectral imaging (S-HSI), including impact, falling, and compression damage, which can lead to bruising. The research involved three different spatial frequencies (60, 100, and 150 m-1) and used a 2π/3 phase shift interval to capture S-HSI images. These images were then processed using a mathematical demodulated model to create high-resolution image cubes that included both image and spectral information from the S-HSI data. Artificial neural network and principal component analysis were applied to develop bruise detection models using S-HSI spectra, which showed better discriminating effects compared with the ordinary hyperspectral spectra. The best performing discriminating models for healthy and three kinds of bruised samples were developed using the spectra of spatial frequency with 100 + 150 m-1, respectively. This study demonstrated the potential of S-HSI as an effective optical technique for bruise detection of peach.

Evaluation of Dual-Band Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Chemometric Analysis for Rapid Quantification of Multi-Quality Parameters of Soy Sauce Stewed Meat

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) systems operated in dual band for the non-destructive measurement of the fat, protein, collagen, ash, and Na contents of soy sauce stewed meat (SSSM). Spectra in the waveband ranges of 650-950 nm and 960-1660 nm were acquired from vacuum-packed ready-to-eat samples that were purchased from 97 different brands. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was employed to develop models predicting the five critical quality parameters. The results showed the best predictions were for the fat (Rp = 0.808; RMSEP = 2.013 g/kg; RPD = 1.666) and protein (Rp = 0.863; RMSEP = 3.372 g/kg; RPD = 1.863) contents, while barely sufficient performances were found for the collagen (Rp = 0.524; RMSEP = 1.970 g/kg; RPD = 0.936), ash (Rp = 0.384; RMSEP = 0.524 g/kg; RPD = 0.953), and Na (Rp = 0.242; RMSEP = 2.097 g/kg; RPD = 1.042) contents of the SSSM. The quality of the content predicted by the spectrum of 960-1660 nm was generally better than that for the 650-950 nm range, which was retained in the further prediction of fat and protein. To simplify the models and make them practical, regression models were established using a few wavelengths selected by the random frog (RF) or regression coefficients (RCs) method. Consequently, ten wavelengths (1048 nm, 1051 nm, 1184 nm, 1191 nm, 1222 nm, 1225 nm, 1228 nm, 1450 nm, 1456 nm, 1510 nm) selected by RF and eight wavelengths (1019 nm, 1097 nm, 1160 nm, 1194 nm, 1245 nm, 1413 nm, 1441 nm, 1489 nm) selected by RCs were individually chosen for the fat and protein contents to build multi-spectral PLSR models. New models led to the best predictive ability of Rp, RMSEP, and RPD of 0.812 and 0.855, 1.930 g/kg and 3.367 g/kg, and 1.737 and 1.866, respectively. These two simplified models both yielded comparable performances to their corresponding full-spectra models, demonstrating the effectiveness of these selected variables. The overall results indicate that NIRS, especially in the spectral range of 960-1660 nm, is a potential tool in the rapid estimation of the fat and protein contents of SSSM, while not providing particularly good prediction statistics for collagen, ash, and Na contents.

Non-destructive pre-symptomatic detection of gray mold infection in kiwifruit using hyperspectral data and chemometrics

Application of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) and data analysis algorithms was investigated for early and non-destructive detection of Botrytis cinerea infection. Hyperspectral images were collected from laboratory-based contaminated and non-contaminated fruits at different day intervals. The spectral wavelengths of 450 nm to 900 nm were pretreated by applying moving window smoothing (MWS), standard normal variates (SNV), multiplicative scatter correction (MSC), Savitzky-Golay 1^st derivative, and Savitzky-Golay 2^nd derivative algorithms. In addition, three different wavelength selection algorithms, namely; competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS), uninformative variable elimination (UVE), and successive projection algorithm (SPA), were executed on the spectra to invoke the most informative wavelengths. The linear discriminant analysis (LDA), developed with SNV-filtered spectral data, was the most accurate classifier to differentiate the contaminated and non-contaminated kiwifruits with accuracies of 96.67% and 96.00% in the cross-validation and evaluation stages, respectively. The system was able to detect infected samples before the appearance of disease symptoms. Results also showed that the gray-mold infection significantly influenced the kiwifruits' firmness, soluble solid content (SSC), and titratable acidity (TA) attributes. Moreover, the Savitzky-Golay 1^st derivative-CARS-PLSR model obtained the highest prediction rate for kiwifruit firmness, SSC, and TA with the determination coefficient (R²) values of 0.9879, 0.9644, 0.9797, respectively, in calibration stage. The corresponding cross-validation R² values were equal to 0.9722, 0.9317, 0.9500 for firmness, SSC, and TA, respectively. HSI and chemometric analysis demonstrated a high potential for rapid and non-destructive assessments of fungal-infected kiwifruits during storage.

Qualitative and Quantitative Assessments of Apple Quality Using Vis Spectroscopy Combined with Improved Particle-Swarm-Optimized Neural Networks

Exploring a cost-effective and high-accuracy optical detection method is of great significance in promoting fruit quality evaluation and grading sales. Apples are one of the most widely economic fruits, and a qualitative and quantitative assessment of apple quality based on soluble solid content (SSC) was investigated via visible (Vis) spectroscopy in this study. Six pretreatment methods and principal component analysis (PCA) were utilized to enhance the collected spectra. The qualitative assessment of apple SSC was performed using a back-propagation neural network (BPNN) combined with second-order derivative (SD) and Savitzky-Golay (SG) smoothing. The SD-SG-PCA-BPNN model's classification accuracy was 87.88%. To improve accuracy and convergence speed, a dynamic learning rate nonlinear decay (DLRND) strategy was coupled with the model. After that, particle swarm optimization (PSO) was employed to optimize the model. The classification accuracy was 100% for testing apples via the SD-SG-PCA-PSO-BPNN model combined with a Gaussian DLRND strategy. Then, quantitative assessments of apple SSC values were performed. The correlation coefficient (r) and root-square-mean error for prediction (RMSEP) in testing apples were 0.998 and 0.112 °Brix, surpassing a commercial fructose meter. The results demonstrate that Vis spectroscopy combined with the proposed synthetic model has significant value in qualitative and quantitative assessments of apple quality.

Analyzing the Quality Parameters of Apples by Spectroscopy from Vis/NIR to NIR Region: A Comprehensive Review

Spectroscopic methods deliver a valuable non-destructive analytical tool that provides simultaneous qualitative and quantitative characterization of various samples. Apples belong to the world's most consumed crops and with the current challenges of climate change and human impacts on the environment, maintaining high-quality apple production has become critical. This review comprehensively analyzes the application of spectroscopy in near-infrared (NIR) and visible (Vis) regions, which not only show particular potential in evaluating the quality parameters of apples but also in optimizing their production and supply routines. This includes the assessment of the external and internal characteristics such as color, size, shape, surface defects, soluble solids content (SSC), total titratable acidity (TA), firmness, starch pattern index (SPI), total dry matter concentration (DM), and nutritional value. The review also summarizes various techniques and approaches used in Vis/NIR studies of apples, such as authenticity, origin, identification, adulteration, and quality control. Optical sensors and associated methods offer a wide suite of solutions readily addressing the main needs of the industry in practical routines as well, e.g., efficient sorting and grading of apples based on sweetness and other quality parameters, facilitating quality control throughout the production and supply chain. This review also evaluates ongoing development trends in the application of handheld and portable instruments operating in the Vis/NIR and NIR spectral regions for apple quality control. The use of these technologies can enhance apple crop quality, maintain competitiveness, and meet the demands of consumers, making them a crucial topic in the apple industry. The focal point of this review is placed on the literature published in the last five years, with the exceptions of seminal works that have played a critical role in shaping the field or representative studies that highlight the progress made in specific areas.

Study on Black Spot Disease Detection and Pathogenic Process Visualization on Winter Jujubes Using Hyperspectral Imaging System

In this work, the potential of a hyperspectral imaging (HSI) system for the detection of black spot disease on winter jujubes infected by Alternaria alternata during postharvest storage was investigated. The HSI images were acquired using two systems in the visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR, 400-1000 nm) and short-wave infrared (SWIR, 1000-2000 nm) spectral regions. Meanwhile, the change of physical (peel color, weight loss) and chemical parameters (soluble solids content, chlorophyll) and the microstructure of winter jujubes during the pathogenic process were measured. The results showed the spectral reflectance of jujubes in both the Vis-NIR and SWIR wavelength ranges presented an overall downtrend during the infection. Partial least squares discriminant models (PLS-DA) based on the HSI spectra in Vis-NIR and SWIR regions of jujubes both gave satisfactory discrimination accuracy for the disease detection, with classification rates of over 92.31% and 91.03%, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) was carried out on the HSI images of jujubes to visualize their infected areas during the pathogenic process. The first principal component of the HSI spectra in the Vis-NIR region could highlight the diseased areas of the infected jujubes. Consequently, Vis-NIR HSI and NIR HSI techniques had the potential to detect the black spot disease on winter jujubes during the postharvest storage, and the Vis-NIR HSI spectral information could visualize the diseased areas of jujubes during the pathogenic process.

Maturity Stage Discrimination of Camellia oleifera Fruit Using Visible and Near-Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging

The maturity of Camellia oleifera fruit is one of the most important indicators to optimize the harvest day, which, in turn, results in a high yield and good quality of the produced Camellia oil. A hyperspectral imaging (HSI) system in the range of visible and near-infrared (400–1000 nm) was employed to assess the maturity stages of Camellia oleifera fruit. Hyperspectral images of 1000 samples, which were collected at five different maturity stages, were acquired. The spectrum of each sample was extracted from the identified region of interest (ROI) in each hyperspectral image. Spectral principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the first three PCs showed potential for discriminating samples at different maturity stages. Two classification models, including partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and principal component analysis discriminant analysis (PCA-DA), based on the raw or pre-processed full spectra, were developed, and performances were compared. Using a PLS-DA model, based on second-order (2nd) derivative pre-processed spectra, achieved the highest results of correct classification rates (CCRs) of 99.2%, 98.4%, and 97.6% in the calibration, cross-validation, and prediction sets, respectively. Key wavelengths selected by PC loadings, two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS), and the uninformative variable elimination and successive projections algorithm (UVE+SPA) were applied as inputs of the PLS-DA model, while UVE-SPA-PLS-DA built the optimal model with the highest CCR of 81.2% in terms of the prediction set. In a confusion matrix of the optimal simplified model, satisfactory sensitivity, specificity, and precision were acquired. Misclassification was likely to occur between samples at maturity stages two, three, and four. Overall, an HSI with effective selected variables, coupled with PLS-DA, could provide an accurate method and a reference simple system by which to rapidly discriminate the maturity stages of Camellia oleifera fruit samples.

Quality Assessment of Fruits and Vegetables Based on Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy: A Review

Damage occurs easily and is difficult to find inside fruits and vegetables during transportation or storage, which not only brings losses to fruit and vegetable distributors, but also reduces the satisfaction of consumers. Spatially resolved spectroscopy (SRS) is able to detect the quality attributes of fruits and vegetables at different depths, which is of great significance to the quality classification and defect detection of horticultural products. This paper is aimed at reviewing the applications of spatially resolved spectroscopy for measuring the quality attributes of fruits and vegetables in detail. The principle of light transfer in biological tissues, diffusion approximation theory and methodologies are introduced, and different configuration designs for spatially resolved spectroscopy are compared and analyzed. Besides, spatially resolved spectroscopy applications based on two aspects for assessing the quality of fruits and vegetables are summarized. Finally, the problems encountered in previous studies are discussed, and future development trends are presented. It can be concluded that spatially resolved spectroscopy demonstrates great application potential in the field of fruit and vegetable quality attribute evaluation. However, due to the limitation of equipment configurations and data processing speed, the application of spatially resolved spectroscopy in real-time online detection is still a challenge.

Variety Identification of Chinese Walnuts Using Hyperspectral Imaging Combined with Chemometrics

Chinese walnuts have extraordinary nutritional and organoleptic qualities, and counterfeit Chinese walnut products are pervasive in the market. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technique to accurately identify and visualize Chinese walnut varieties. Hyperspectral images of 400 Chinese walnuts including 200 samples of Ningguo variety and 200 samples of Lin’an variety were acquired in range of 400–1000 nm. Spectra were extracted from representative regions of interest (ROIs), and principal component analysis (PCA) of spectra showed that the characteristic second principal component (PC2) was potentially effective in variety identification. The PC transformation was also conducted to hyperspectral images to make an exploratory visualization according to pixel-wise PC scores. Three different modeling methods including partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), k-nearest neighbor (KNN), and support vector machine (SVM) were individually employed to develop classification models. Results indicated that raw full spectra constructed PLS-DA model performed best with correct classification rates (CCRs) of 97.33%, 95.33%, and 92.00% in calibration, cross-validation, and prediction sets, respectively. Successful projects algorithm (SPA), competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS), and PC loadings were individually used for effective wavelengths selection. Subsequently, simplified PLS-DA model based on wavelengths selected by CARS yielded the best 96.33%, 95.67% and 91.00% CCRs in the three sets. This optimal CARS-PLS-DA model acquired a sensitivity of 93.62%, a specificity of 88.68%, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) value of 0.91, and Kappa coefficient of 0.82 in prediction set. Classification maps were finally generated by classifying the varieties of each pixel in multispectral images at CARS-selected wavelengths, and the general variety was then readily discernible. These results demonstrated that features extracted from HSI had outstanding ability, and could be applied as a reliable tool for the further development of an on-line identification system for Chinese walnut variety.

Chemometrics in Tandem with Hyperspectral Imaging for Detecting Authentication of Raw and Cooked Mutton Rolls

Authentication assurance of meat or meat products is critical in the meat industry. Various methods including DNA- or protein-based techniques are accurate for assessing meat authenticity, however, they are destructive, expensive, or laborious. This study explores the feasibility of chemometrics in tandem with hyperspectral imaging (HSI) for identifying raw and cooked mutton rolls substitution by pork and duck rolls. Raw or cooked samples (n = 180) of three meat species were prepared to collect hyperspectral images in range of 400-1000 nm. Spectra were extracted from representative regions of interest (ROIs), and spectral principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that PC1 and PC2 were effective for the identification. Different methods including standard normal variable (SNV), first and second derivatives, and normalization were individually employed for spectral preprocessing, and modeling methods of partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and support vector machines (SVM) were also individually applied to develop classification models for both the raw and the cooked. Results showed that PLS-DA model developed by raw spectra presented the highest 100% correct classification rate (CCR) of success in all sets. After that, effective wavelengths selected by successive projections algorithm (SPA) built optimal simplified models which didn't influence the modeling results compared with full spectra regardless of the meat roll states. Therefore, SPA-PLS-DA models were subsequently used to visualize the raw and cooked meat rolls classification. As a consequence, the general meat species of both raw and cooked meat rolls were readily discernible in pixel-wise manner by generating classification maps. The results showed that HSI combined with chemometrics can be used to identify the authentication of raw and cooked mutton rolls substituted by pork and duck rolls accurately. This promising methodology provides a reference which can be extended to the classification or grading of other meat rolls.

Ultrasonic Signal Transmission Performance in Bolted Connections of Wood Structures under Different Preloads

In industrial applications, bolt connections are simple and economical, contributing to their popularity for use in wood packing boxes. However, they can easily fail when subjected to a continuous vibrational load under usual working conditions such as transportation and hoisting. Based on an ultrasonic technique, nondestructive evaluation can be used to quickly detect large-scale structures, but the complex propagation properties in wood limit its application. To solve this problem, a time-reversal method was adopted to predict the residual preload on bolted connections by focusing on the signals collected by wood structures, which helps to assess the structures’ reliability. In this study, the residual preload of bolted connections in wood structures was predicted using the deep-learning method, LSTM, one-dimensional Resnet and Densenet, and tree classification models. It was confirmed that the use of the time-reversal method for ultrasonic detection focused on the signals transmitted in bolted connections of wood structures and deep-learning methods are a feasible way to predict an ultrasonic transmission model.

Near-infrared hyperspectral imaging for detection and visualization of offal adulteration in ground pork

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technique was investigated to explore a feasible protocol for detecting the potential offal (lung) adulteration in ground pork. Tested samples (176 adulterated and 2 controls) were first prepared with adulterant of ground lung in range of 0%-100% (w/w) at 10% intervals. After hyperspectral images were acquired and calibrated in reflectance mode (400-1000 nm), full spectra were extracted from identified regions of interests (ROIs) and then transformed into absorbance and Kubelka-Munck spectral units, respectively. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) models based on full spectra showed that raw reflectance spectra with no preprocessings performed best with coefficient of determination (R_p²) of 0.98, root mean square error (RMSEP) of 4.25%, and ratio performance deviation (RPD) of 7.53 in prediction set. To reduce the high dimensionality of spectra, data was further explored using principal component loadings, two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS), and regression coefficients (RC), respectively. The optimal performance of established simplified PLSR model were acquired using eleven featured wavelengths selected by PC loadings with R_p² of 0.98, RMSEP of 4.47% and RPD of 7.16. Finally, the limit of detection (LOD) was calculated to be a satisfactory 7.58%, and readily discernible visualization procedure using preferred simplified PLSR model yielded satisfactory spatial distribution of adulteration situation. Control samples with known distribution were also visualized to successfully prove the validity. Consequently, this research offers an alternative assay for visually and rapidly detecting offal of lung adulteration in ground pork.

Assessment of Tomato Maturity in Different Layers by Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy

Tomato maturity is important to determine the fruit shelf life and eating quality. The objective of this research was to evaluate tomato maturity in different layers by using a newly developed spatially resolved spectroscopic system over the spectral region of 550-1650 nm. Thirty spatially resolved spectra were obtained for 600 tomatoes, 100 for each of the six maturity stages (i.e., green, breaker, turning, pink, light red, and red). Support vector machine discriminant analysis (SVMDA) models were first developed for each of individual spatially resolved (SR) spectra to compare the classification results of two sides. The mean spectra of two sides with the same source-detector distances were employed to determine the model performance of different layers. SR combination by averaging all the SR spectra was also subject to comparison with the classification model performance. The results showed large source-detector distances would be helpful for evaluating tomato maturity, and the mean_SR 15 obtained excellent classification results with the total classification accuracy of 98.3%. Moreover, the classification results were distinct for two sides of the probe, which demonstrated even if in the same source-detector distances, the classification results were influenced by the measurement location due to the heterogeneity for tomato. The mean of all SR spectra could only improve the classification results based on the first three mean_SR spectra, but could not obtain the accuracy as good as the following mean_SR spectra. This study demonstrated that spatially resolved spectroscopy has potential for assessing tomato maturity in different layers.

Measurement of Early Disease Blueberries Based on Vis/NIR Hyperspectral Imaging System

Blueberries, which are rich in nutrition, are susceptible to fungal infection during postharvest or storage. However, early detection of diseases in blueberry is challenging because of their opaque appearance and the inconspicuousness of spots in the early stage of disease. The goal of this study was to investigate the potential of hyperspectral imaging over the spectral range of 400–1000 nm to discriminate early disease in blueberries. Scanning electron microscope observation verified that fungal damage to the cellular structure takes place during the early stages. A total of 400 hyperspectral images, 200 samples each of healthy and early disease groups, were collected to obtain mean spectra of each blueberry samples. Spectral correlation analysis was performed to select an effective spectral range. Partial least square discrimination analysis (PLSDA) models were developed using two types of spectral range (i.e., full wavelength range of 400–1000 nm and effective spectral range of 685–1000 nm). The results showed that the effective spectral range made it possible to provide better classification results due to the elimination of the influence of irrelevant variables. Moreover, the effective spectral range combined with an autoscale preprocessing method was able to obtain optimal classification accuracies, with recognition rates of 100% and 99% for healthy and early disease blueberries. This study demonstrated that it is feasible to use hyperspectral imaging to measure early disease blueberries.