SproutCam
Smart Brussels Sprout Sorting with SproutCam
The SproutCam is a sorting machine with an advanced camera and image processing system. In the sorting section of the machine, each sprout is singulated, allowing the entire sprout to be photographed. Deep Learning-based image processing software then ensures that sprouts that don't meet the set requirements are blown out.
Advantages of SproutCam:
- cameras enable 360° view of each sprout;
- 18- and 24-row sorters with V-belt and diabolo rollers;
- 16 color photos per sprout;
- more capacity with belt speeds up to 10 tons per hour;
- 95% of defective sprouts are removed;
- prevent too many good sprouts from being blown out;
- high-tech machine with user-friendly control system;
- compatibility between sorting machine and computer system;
- easy to maintain;
- advantages lead to short payback time.
Customer Experiences
André Noordhoek, Noordhoek Agro Bleiswijk:
"After putting the SproutCam into use, we quickly noticed how user-friendly the machine and computer are. In the past, I always had to involve myself in setting the sorting limits, and now the employees have it completely under control themselves.
That's absolutely thanks to the intuitive system. What you see on the screen is immediately clear, and despite our limited knowledge of computers or the special software, we can work with it well.
If we have questions, the TechNature team is there to provide prompt assistance."
Jaap Bos, Nieuw-Beijerland:
"The SproutCam removes a lot of defects, and this provides a lot of peace of mind because manual work doesn't increase much when we start picking in a bad field. An extra useful feature of the software is the registration of defects. If I haven't been near the machine for a few hours, I can review the statistics at the end of the day. I can then see on the screen what the state of production was for that day. What abnormal colors or shapes were there, and in what percentages did they occur relative to the total defects? Since 2022, we've expanded the SproutCam with an extra exit and length sorting. We can now sort out the elongated sprouts separately, allowing the cutting machine to cut with much less waste. Our customer is very happy with this and gives a higher price for long sprouts. So the SproutCam and its software do so much more than just labor saving. It provides extra yield and overview in the sorting process."
Jan Sonneveld, Organic grower in Dronten:
"When it comes to selecting sprouts, it's noticeable that the SproutCam is also much better at selecting for thrips damage. Good sprouts that were sometimes blown out with the previous machine now simply remain and can be sold. So we have more usable yield from the field and less waste. In addition, with our previous machine, the sorting belt often had to run at slower speeds in a less good year to still manually remove the bad sprouts. With the SproutCam's camera techniques, the belt speed doesn't need to be reduced, and that visual control is only minimally necessary. That's a double win!"
Erik Boon, Zeewolde:
"The higher belt speed compared to our previous machine also simply produces more selected sprouts per hour. And that's handy as we approach the Christmas period and the demand for Dutch sprouts peaks. I can then use that extra capacity specifically to meet that demand, and it makes the workday shorter.
An interesting fact is that sprouts come in different sizes, and for example, in the Netherlands we prefer a small sprout, while the Germans actually like a large sprout. With the SproutCam, we can set the quality per size and thus cater to each market segment."