The PulpVision kiwi sorter, which analyses the colour of the fruit pulp, the BIOSCAN^® *Brix meter for citrus fruit, stone fruit and tomatoes, and a new and an even more accurate version of InstanDefect-AI vision software for identifying external and ripeness defects. 

Sorma Group, a leader in the design and construction of complete lines for the post-harvest of fruit and vegetable products, presented two innovative new grading solutions at this year’s Fruit Attraction: PulpVision, a new optical sorter machine for kiwis that is able to detect green, yellow and red colours within the fruit pulp, and BIOSCAN^® for measuring the Brix value of the fruit. 

Also, in the area of optical grading, Sorma Group once again displayed its top-of-the-range HyperVision platform at the trade fair together with the updated version of InstanDefect-AI, the Sormatech vision software based entirely on Artificial Intelligence and deep learning systems, which is now even more effective at detecting all types of external and ripeness defects.

The three solutions use the Sormatech platform, the mechanical structure of the Sorma Group optical sorter machines based on the innovative model Z carrier, which makes it possible to rotate and transport fruits between 38 mm and 110 mm and can be assembled, as demonstrated at the trade fair, but also individually.

Looking at the details of the individual machines, Sorma Group has taken steps to improve the analysis of kiwi pulp colour with the PulpVision sorter, which operators can use to sort kiwis into various groups on the basis of their pulp colour and manage their introduction to the market more accurately, transferring those fruits that haven’t reached the ideal colour to refrigerated chambers and making those that are readily available for sale on the market, thereby improving the consumer purchasing experience. The sorter machine works at the same speed as the Sormatech line, 15 kiwis a second, analysing the whole fruit with a rotation of 360°.

Meanwhile, BIOSCAN^® is the solution for measuring, also on the processing line, the level of dissolved sugar content in citrus fruit, stone fruit and tomatoes (°Brix). The process is very simple: the products are passed under the Brix measurement unit equipped with N.I.R. sensors, which exploit the material’s interaction with near-infrared radiation, making it possible to obtain, in real-time, information on the molecular structure and chemical-physical properties of the fruit. Completely non-invasive, this system leaves the fruit intact, making it possible to perform frequent sampling while guaranteeing high levels of precision and the extremely delicate management of the product, thanks also to the special transport and unloading system.

Last but not least, at the Sorma Group stand, it was possible to view and learn more about the multiple functions of the HyperVision optical sorter machine, which is now even more efficient thanks to the new version of the InstanDefect-AI software. Thanks to the principles of self-learning, this software is suitable for all types of fruit and vegetable products: in fact, the programmes included in the system can easily be updated by the operator by checking the sample of the fruit in question and choosing the parameter to monitor (i.e. defect/undamaged skin). In this manner, the machine on which it is installed is instructed. It “learns” and becomes increasingly efficient at grading quality, ensuring unprecedented fruit calyx/stem sorting together with the advanced detection of external defects and ripeness.  

The new software version sets new standards in terms of recognition quality. In fact, the Sorma Group R&D department worked extremely hard to transfer the entire core of the Artificial Intelligence to a Linux software environment, making it possible to take better advantage of the powerful hardware available (1 next-generation PC for every sorting machine line) and to improve overall product grading performances.

Another important change is the generation of predictive AI models, which are now carried out entirely locally in the sorting machine and are, therefore, no longer dependent on external cloud services, ensuring the complete independence and security of business continuity. Thanks to the decision to choose Linux, greater protection from cyber-attacks compared with other widely used systems on the market is also guaranteed.

“With these new products,” comments Daniele Severi, Director of the Technology Division at Sorma Ibérica, “Sorma Group demonstrates its close focus on the needs of the fruit and vegetable sector in post-harvest operations, responding with dedicated solutions that guarantee quality end products in appropriate timeframes and enable our customers to be competitive on the international market.”