VBTI and VA Imaging - Smart Agricultural Inspection with AI and Stereovision
Max Reijngoudt
Since 2019, VBTI, an AI company from the Netherlands, has been leading the way in creating smart solutions for difficult visual tasks, especially in areas where traditional automation often falls short. One of their key projects is a broccoli inspection line. It uses the combination of VA Imaging cameras, and VBTI’s AI platform OneDL. This system is a perfect example of how machine vision cameras setups are used for smart agricultural inspection.
Table of contents
How can we address the challenges in the agricultural sector?
Agricultural, unlike many other industries, naturally involves a lot of variation. No two crops are alike, and this is especially true for broccoli. “Broccoli varies in shape, size, and colour depending on factors like the season, weather conditions, and plant type” explains the team at VBTI. “Traditional automation systems, which follow fixed rules, often struggle with this kind of variety.”
In the agricultural industry, this variation makes it hard to sort and check the quality of produce. Accurate and consistent results are important, but older automated systems often miss flaws like spots, unusual colors, or odd shapes.
VBTI saw this problem and decided to build a smarter solution one than can learn and adapt. They focused on creating an AI system that could better inspect and sort broccoli by recognizing discoloration and measuring the size accurately. This helps sort the broccoli by quality and size more reliably.
The Making of the Agricultural Inspection System
The project started with a basic setup: a single 2D camera to capture images and train the AI model. But as the team progressed, they realized that this simple setup would not be enough for the complex tasks they needed to handle. To better understand the depth and shape of the broccoli, VBTI decided to get a more advanced stereovision setup using VA Imaging’s high-quality cameras. Specifically, they used two 3MP GigE cameras and two 6MM lenses to enhance the system’s capabilities and provide, more accurate, 3D imaging for precise inspection.
Why 2D Stereovision Instead of a 3D Camera?
While 3D cameras offer ready-made depth maps that can be useful for many applications, VBTI found that they were less effective for this project. “At first, we used cameras that provided depth data, but we ran into problems, especially with thin stalks or complex plant shapes,” says VBTI. “For broccoli, which can have uneven shapes and different structured details, the depth data wasn’t reliable enough.”
The decision was then made to use a stereo pair of 2D cameras from VA Imaging. Specifically, VBTI used two 3MP GigE cameras and two 6MM lenses. This stereo setup involves using two cameras placed a fixed distance apart, which lets VBTI calculate depth by comparing the images from each camera. The OneDL platform was used to train a custom AI StereoDepth algorithm optimized for this task. This method offered several benefits:
- It gave more accurate depth information.
- It allowed greater control over the system by customizing camera settings.
“This approach provided us with much more flexibility and control. By using the same type of camera for the entire systems, we kept the dataset consistent and could adjust everything to fit our needs,” VBTI explains. The result was a better, more adaptable stereovision system that worked well for the variety of broccoli shapes and sizes.
Why Choose OneDL for the Agricultural Sector?
Once the images were captured by the VA Imaging cameras, they are processed through VBTI’s AI platform, OneDL. This platform developed in-house, is designed to make the whole process easier from collecting data to training AI models, running tests, and providing real-time updates in the field.
One of the key challenges in agricultural inspection systems is the way crops change throughout the season. “For example, early in the season, you might see more yellow spots, while later in the season, there could be more rotting spots,” explains VBTI. This means that a fixed, one size fits all model doesn’t work. The system needs to be able to adjust and improve as new data comes in.
With OneDL, VBTI created a system that automatically updates and retrains it models throughout the season, using fresh data to make the system more accurate.
The Future of Agricultural inspection
Looking ahead, VBTI is excited about the growth of AI and machine vision in agriculture. “We are in a phase of rapid growth. Thanks to OneDL, we can set up projects faster than ever and deliver results in just two weeks,” says VBTI. This quick turnaround is key in industries like agriculture, where new technologies need to be applied quickly, and changes happen fast.
Working with VA Imaging is a big part of VBTI’s future plans. “Having the flexibility to choose our own cameras and lenses, combined with the high-quality hardware from VA Imaging, fits perfectly with our approach. It allows us to customize the system to meet the needs of each customer, giving us a big advantage,” explains VBTI.
Looking forward, VBTI sees great potential for expanding its work with VA Imaging. “We are already looking at ways to create even more advanced machine vision solutions. Together, we believe we can change the way agricultural processes are automated, improving efficiency and consistency while reducing waste.”
Transforming Agricultural Inspection with AI and Machine Vision
VBTI’s approach to broccoli inspection shows the power of AI and machine vision in solving tough challenges. By combining VA Imaging’s advanced camera solutions with their own AI models and the flexibility of OneDL platform, VBTI has created a system that works well for agricultural inspections.
The success of this project highlights the importance of high-quality machine vision hardware in achieving reliable results. VA Imaging’s cameras played a crucial role in helping VBTI customize their system for specific tasks, ensuring it performs well in the fields. As VBTI continues to grow, VA Imaging will remain a key partner in driving innovation and advancing machine vision technology.
Optimize Your Vision Projects with VA Imaging
At VA Imaging, we provide cutting-edge camera solutions to improve your machine vision projects. Whether you are exploring agricultural automation, working on a project similar to this solution in agricultural inspection, or focusing on something completely different, our cameras can offer the reliability, flexibility, and performance you need.
If you are interested in collaborating with us or learning more about how our camera solutions can transform your business, reach out today or fill in the form below. Let’s talk about how we can support your project and innovate together.
