Analysis of Digital Images on a Mobile Device to Estimate Surface Area and Volume of Mango Fruit (Mangifera indica L.)

Abstract

Objective: To develop a technique based on the partition method, to estimate the surface area and volume of mango fruit (Mangifera indica L. cv. “Ataulfo”) using two digital orthogonal images, obtained and processed on a mobile device with the Android® operating system, segmented by different discriminants. Design/Methodology/Approach: A technique was developed to estimate the surface area and volume of “Ataulfo” mango fruit based on digital images and was implemented directly on a smartphone with the Android® operating system. Three discriminants were evaluated for segmentation (red channel, green channel, and HIS intensity) and applied in n=30 fruits. The precision and accuracy of the technique was determined. Results: The surface area and volume of the fruit when estimated using the red channel presented a coefficient of variation of less than 2.0% in both variables and the estimation error was less than 3% for surface area and less than 5% for volume. Study Limitations/Implications: This technique was limited to fruit with an elliptical cross-section and smooth surface. Findings/Conclusions: The proposed technique is a non-destructive alternative to estimate the surface area and volume of “Ataulfo” mango fruit with a reasonable margin of error and can be implemented directly on an Android® device using only the red channel as a segmentation discriminant.