Blogs

The Next Generation of Blueberry Grading - Ellips | Next Level Grading

Written by Ed Westerweele | Oct 31, 2023 11:09:46 AM

The world of blueberry growers and packers is challenging. Batch qualities are variable; however, customers’ demands remain always on that same high-level.

1. Can you consistently match your blueberries with the demands?
2. Do you suffer from quality inconsistency due to extreme weather and growing conditions?
3️. Are you struggling to identify and sort out blueberries that have challenging defects?

Every challenge has its solution. It's time to unlock the power of Artificial Intelligence.

Delivering consistent quality, on time and at the best price. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers great opportunities to ensure superior quality at great speed. 


 

Why is True-AI changing the game for blueberry grading?

Increased profitability, significant cost savings and minimal labor required. Artificial intelligence (AI) provides opportunities to improve your grading process with intelligent automation. This technology takes over complex tasks from humans and provides new solutions that were previously impossible. With Ellips True-AI (AI - based on advanced deep learning algorithms), you can significantly improve your grading performance with more accurate and consistent grading results for your blueberries.

  1. True-AI gives you maximum returns, less waste and less labor required with powerful defect detection.
  2. This advanced technology offers you that perfect match, all day, every day. Perfectly graded produce, a 100% match with customer requirements, regardless of the batch quality.
  3. True-AI is your operator’s new best friend. With enhanced effectiveness, time savings and simplicity, your operator easily improves customer satisfaction and your reputation as a preferred supplier.

What are the most important benefits of True-AI?


Outstanding grading improvements with the most challenging defects such as dehydration (shrivel), cracks, stem tears and mold.

Your grading technology gets smarter every day. With grading performance moving towards 100% detection accuracy, you can fully trust the grading results.

True-AI software has been trained to find defects all on its ownmaking your life easier.


The Power of AI in detecting challenging defects

Every blueberry is different. So is every defect. Internal and external defects occur in many ways. This makes it challenging to detect certain defects. Existing grading technology struggles with the spectrum of numerous defect combinations, limiting your batch's full potential.

See the unseen with an eye for the smallest details.

With so many ways for defects to appear across every piece of
blueberry, it’s only through Ellips True-AI that can accurately model all these combinations. You can detect even the most challenging defects with an eye for the smallest details. This technology helps you with hard-to-detect defects such as dehydration (shrivel), cracks, stem tears and mold.

Quality is a promise, regardless of batch quality

With True-AI, you can consistently guarantee the quality of your blueberries, no matter the quality of the batch. AI gives you the flexibility to respond to different conditions and market demands.

See your grading technology getting smarter every day

Let’s talk about AI; how does it work? With True-AI, the algorithms are developed by using vast amounts of data of different blueberry varieties gathered all around the world. It is built with hundreds of thousands of reference images. By incorporating additional defect data on an ongoing basis, True-AI will be continually enriched with data. This data is collected from our large global customer base across different seasons and growing conditions. You can all benefit from this collective intelligence.

 

Can we make your life easier?

Yes, this technology is designed to make your life easier. Operator's tasks will be less complex and more automated. Less operator input is required because our True-AI software has been trained to find defects all on its own. You will have more time to focus on other important operational issues. As grading performance moves towards 100% detection accuracy, grading tasks can be done with minimal staff. Many of the grading parameter, previously created by the operator, can now be managed by the system. The True-AI algorithms work out-of-the-box so that you can apply them immediately without modification.

The best of both worlds: Human & Technology

The operator still has an important role to play. His/her expertise relates to the dynamic quality standards demanded by specific customers and markets. You want the best of both worlds. 1. An operator who has knowledge of blueberry quality characteristics. 2. This new grading technology to meet your customer’s unique demands.

 

Shaping the future together with innovative blueberry growers

The next generation of blueberry grading is a sum of collective knowledge and experience. It’s built up through years of close cooperation with blueberry growers and packers around the world. Over these years, we gathered tons of data about all kinds of blueberry defects and grading challenges. With this data, collective knowledge and experience, we have been working on the development of our Ellips Artificial Intelligence Grading Technology solution.

 

How did this collective intelligence arise?

For the past 15 years, Ellips has partnered with innovative blueberry customers around the world. Together, we revolutionized grading, sorting and packing performance for blueberries. These blueberry businesses delivered outstanding results using grading technology.

What were the key factors for this joint success?

  1.  Near-perfect size, color separation, and highly accurate sorting of defects such as softness, slipskin and shrivel (dehydration).
  2. The flexibility to sort blueberries into different quality classes based on softness, firmness and bloom. Great for meeting premium, local and export demands. 
  3. Delivering unmatched throughput (tons/lane) resulting in business productivity, profitability and reduce dependance on labor with the Elifab blueberry grading machine.

 

 

What will the future bring for you?

Innovations cannot stop; they enable the evolutions required to take your business to new groundbreaking levels. As such, innovation and continual product enhancement is the key to the long-term success of our customers. The new technology True-AI significantly improved grading performance and keeps getting smarter with every coming season.

 



Are you ready for the next level?

Adopt the latest technology and improve your grading performance with True-AI. You can significantly improve your grading accuracy and consistency. This results in increased efficiency, reduced waste and increased profitability. You can be assured that each blueberry ends up at its rightful destination. This allows you to achieve maximum returns and the consistent quality desired by your customers. High-quality produce leads to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty, giving you a competitive advantage in the market.