Chromatic image analysis for cotton trash and color measurements

The U.S. cotton classification system has been undergoing significant changes, moving from human classing to the use of precise instruments. Along with this trend, the current research is an effort to develop a new computer vision system to measure detailed trash and color attributes of raw cotton. The system primarily consists of a color CCD camera, xenon flash light, and customized software. In this paper, we introduce a new trash and spot identification method, multidimension thresholding, and the methods for characterizing size, spatial density, shape, and color of trash and spots present in cotton samples. We report on the trash and color measurements of twelve cotton samples, including statistical data and distribution curves, and we compare the results from this system with those from other instruments such as the Spinlab and Motion Control HVI machines and the Minolta Chroma Meter CR-210. Finally, we investigate the influence of trash and spots on cotton color values.