Abstract:Based on the visible / near-infrared spectroscopic analysis technology, a chain-driven online apple inspection and sorting system was designed to meet the needs of non-destructive on-site quick inspection and quality testing of apples. The system consisted of hardware such as power mechanism, spectral acquisition unit, PLC control module and grading actuator. The sensor co-location triggered spectral acquisition, and the prediction model enabled rapid, non-destructive online discrimination of apple mouldy core disease and accurate prediction of healthy fruit SSC. Taking Fuji apples as the object, a dual-response convolutional neural network (CNN) model was established to discriminate mouldy heart disease and predict the SSC of healthy fruits, and the accuracy of the model prediction set for discriminating mouldy heart disease was 100% , and the fit of the SSC prediction of healthy fruits was 97% . Finally, the model was tested by applying apple random validation data after implanting the model into the software system, with 98% accuracy for mouldy core sorting, 96% fit for healthy fruit SSC prediction, and an optimal detection and sorting speed of 0. 47 m/ s. In addition, the decrease in discrimination accuracy was due to the intersection of the internal characteristics of healthy and slightly mouldy kernels, which was what we would focus on in the subsequent study. The results showed that the chain-driven online apple inspection and sorting system developed independently had high modelling accuracy and stability, and had the functions of quickly realizing the discrimination of apple mouldy heart disease and the non-destructive detection of healthy fruit SSC.