A Portable Low-cost Non-destructive Ripeness Inspection for Oil Palm FFB

Color considered as a main character to determine quality of agricultural products, especially fruit ripeness. Human eyes are excellent in differentiating color, however, human perception to color are often inconsistent, influence by their physical and psychological state. In this study, the ripeness of oil palm fresh fruits bunch (FFB) assessed using a portable and low-cost device, comprised of digital camera, laptop and a small and lightweight chamber equipped with independent LED lights. First, the FFB sample was observed by three experts to evaluate its ripeness. Then the sample placed inside the chamber and recorded by camera. In order to record the whole bunch, camera was positioned perpendicularly 1 meter above the ground, facing down toward the FFB. The recorded FFB image subsequently segmented and analyzed using the image processing software in the computer. The software calculated and specified the color of the FFB image in RGB color space. The results then compared with the observations by the panelists. In this study, FFB color observations by the camera vision, produced better consistency compare to the observation results of from the experts.