A Multi-Sensor System for Silkworm Cocoon Gender Classification via Image Processing and Support Vector Machine

Sericulture is traditionally a labor-intensive rural-based industry. In modern contexts, the development of process automation faces new challenges related to quality and efficiency. During the silkworm farming life cycle, a common issue is represented by the gender classification of the cocoons. Improper cocoon separation negatively affects quantity and quality of the yield resulting in disruptive bottlenecks for the productivity. To tackle this issue, this paper proposes a multi sensor system for silkworm cocoons gender classification and separation. Utilizing a load sensor and a digital camera, the system acquires weight and digital images from individual silkworm cocoons. An image processing procedure is then applied to extract significant shape-related features from each image instance, which, combined with the weight data, are provided as inputs to train a Support Vector Machine-based pattern classifier for gender classification. Subsequently, an air blower mechanism and a conveyor system sort the cocoons into their respective bins. The developed system was trained and tested on two different types of silkworm cocoons breeds, respectively CSR2 and Pure Mysore. The system performances are finally discussed in terms of accuracy, robustness and computation time.