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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lubbock, Texas » Cropping Systems Research Laboratory » Cotton Production and Processing Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #409099
Research Project: Enhancing the Profitability and Sustainability of Upland Cotton, Cottonseed, and Agricultural Byproducts through Improvements in Pre-Ginning, Ginning, and Post-Ginning Processes

Location: Cotton Production and Processing Research

Title: Field evaluation of an auto-calibration system for plastic contamination detection

Author
item Pelletier, Mathew
item Holt, Gregory
item Wanjura, John
item KOTHARI, NEHA - Cotton, Inc

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/3/2024
Publication Date: 1/3/2024
Citation: Pelletier, M.G., Holt, G.A., Wanjura, J.D., Kothari, N. 2024. Field evaluation of an auto-calibration system for plastic contamination detection. National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Plastic contamination in cotton lint, primarily from John Deere round module harvester wraps, is a significant challenge for the U.S. cotton industry. In response, a machine-vision system using cost-effective cameras was developed to detect and remove plastic during gin processing. Despite its effectiveness, the system's extensive 20+ computer setup and Linux-based framework make operation and calibration cumbersome for OEM manufacturer’s and cotton gin workers. This study introduces an auto-calibration feature aimed at simplifying system operation and improving efficiency. Using data from fourteen machine vision systems in four commercial gins from the 2023 season, we evaluate the new feature's performance. The anticipated success of auto-calibration could substantially reduce operational challenges and promote wider adoption of this contamination mitigation system for the cotton ginning industry.