EFFECT OF IMPACTING MASS ON FIRMNESS SENSING OF FRUITS

There has been an increased interest in using impact techniques for se nsing firmness of fruits and vegetables. When an impactor is used to s trike a fruit, the impacting mass is an important parameter which affe cts both the impact signal and fruit damage. Results of theoretical an alyses and tests conducted on two varieties of pears indicate that low ering the impacting mass results in amplifying the measured signal, re ducing sensing errors, and minimizing damage to the fruit.