A Simple and Low-Cost Apparatus of Near-Infrared for Defect Examination in Tomato

A portable optical measurement is configured by using a near-infrared laser diode of the 808 nm in a wavelength spectrum as a light source and operated at a power of 500 mW. The work within this study tests a sample of fresh tomato injected by black ink. The results are obtained by performing a shifted laser source in counter-clockwise direction respect to the measurement node on 36 degrees in each. Subsequently, the results are compared between fresh tomato and tomato injected by black ink to mimic rotten in the tomato. The results in graphical form represent the differences in power density between fresh tomato (without implanted ink) and ink inserted tomato. The design of this apparatus has advantages, such as low cost with a simple procedure and hence has a potential used in agriculture for examining the defect without destructing the surface structure of the agricultural products.