Meat and Livestock Australia Limited

Meat Research Corporation

David Barrett-Lennard

Peter J Hay

Alan Benn

Kurt Malmstrom

Emlyn Garvey

Lachlan Partington

The calibration of an imaging system having a camera ( ) for capturing colour data for a target object (carcass ) includes a primary calibration to obtain a primary transform for RGB data to enable compensation for variations in the camera operation or characteristics, and a secondary calibration obtain a secondary transform to enable compensation for local lighting conditions during capture and processing of colour data for captured images to be analysed. The calculated primary transform relates the actual measured colour data to known standard colour data for the particular standard colour specimens ( ). The standard colour specimens ( ) are presented in an enclosure or hood ( ) to the camera under controlled illumination and with extrancous or external light being excluded from illuminating the specimens. A preliminary calibration includes calibrating the primary calibration standard colour specimens and associated controlled light source against centralised laboratory standard colours.

Calibration of imaging systems

A process and apparatus for identifying a target section within an image of a meat section. Color data for each pixel is stored and the pixels having a predetermined color characteristic of the target section e.g. a certain red/green ratio, are discriminated. The process involves excising from a refined data set for the discriminated pixels at least one data set for a cluster of pixels representing an external image section which is adjacent to and contacting the target section but which does not form part of the target section, the excising step including analysing the shape of the refined image section represented by the refined data set to identify concavities and examining properties of links and/or properties of sub-sections formed by links to identify valid links demarcating the target section from adjacent touching external image sections. The refined data set after the excising step has been carried out is processed as the data set representing the target section of the image.

Image analysis for meat

Growing community of inventors

West Perth, Australia

David Barrett-Lennard