Search results

This paper concerns the use of sensors and systems integration in the automated handling of foodstuffs in sandwich making and biscuit packing.

This article describes the image processing and tracking algorithms used in a mechanical hoe that accurately weeds between parallel rows of crops under variable outdoor illumination conditions.

To draw attention to some recent developments in machine vision equipment.

Presents advances in light emitting diode (LED) lighting, cameras and software, and gives examples of new products and their capabilities.

New thermal management techniques allow LED lights to take over many machine vision illumination systems. Lights and cameras can be ruggedised to withstand wash down. Standard interfacing is being adopted for machine vision cameras.

Highlights some new products which have applications including the food industry.

This article describes two developments for the automatic handling of delicate food products: a new end‐effector for handling sticky objects, and a vision‐based system for harvesting mushrooms.

Describes the properties and uses of a new colour‐change chemical for laser‐printing of human and machine‐readable data.

Presents the characteristics and modes of application of the chemical, its advantages over the current techniques of inkjet printing and laser‐marking, and a number of applications which show its distinctive features.

This chemical gives faster throughput and better print clarity than existing laser scribing processes, and opens up new anti‐counterfeiting techniques.

Draws attention to an invention that will make an impact on factory date‐coding procedures.

To review the use of near‐infrared (NIR) spectroscopy in the process control of foodstuffs.

Presents two spectroscopy products used in the production environment: a single‐board system aimed at OEMs, and a complete fibre‐optic spectrometer ready for the end‐user. Gives examples of applications within the food and drink industry.

Finds that these instruments are fast, effective and inexpensive, and rugged enough for the processing environment.

Draws attention to the potential of NIR spectroscopy outside the confines of the laboratory.

Advances in the design of image processing software and in the development of cameras with on‐board processing are changing the face of machine vision. A group of suppliers is now producing vision systems targeted directly at end‐users in the assembly plant.

This paper provides a review of commercially available lighting systems for industrial inspection applications, including the underlying technology and optical behaviour.

This paper reviews bowl feeders with optical sensors, used in industrial automation and assembly, describing their advantages over mechanically tooled bowl feeders, their underlying technology and development trends.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that common method variance, specifically single-source bias, threatens the validity of a university-created student assessment of instructor instrument, suggesting that decisions made from these assessments are inherently flawed or skewed. Single-source bias leads to generalizations about assessments that might influence the ability of raters to separate multiple behaviors of an instructor.

Exploratory factor analysis, nested confirmatory factor analysis and within-and-between analysis are used to assess a university-developed, proprietary student assessment of instructor instrument to determine whether a hypothesized factor structure is identifiable. The instrument was developed over a three-year period by a university-mandated committee.

Findings suggest that common method variance, specifically single-source bias, resulted in the inability to identify hypothesized constructs statistically. Additional information is needed to identify valid instruments and an effective collection method for assessment.

Institutions are not guaranteed valid or useful instruments even if they invest significant time and resources to produce one. Without accurate instrumentation, there is insufficient information to assess constructs for teaching excellence. More valid measurement criteria can result from using multiple methods, altering collection times and educating students to distinguish multiple traits and behaviors of individual instructors more accurately.

This paper documents the three-year development of a university-wide student assessment of instructor instrument and carries development through to examining the psychometric properties and appropriateness of using this instrument to evaluate instructors.