Transcript Watermelon Ripeness Sensor

Watermelon Ripeness Sensor
Melon Inc.
In Search of Perfect Melons.
Jason L. Firko
Allan Cohen
Matt Behr
Dave Bartoski
Watermelon Ripeness Sensor
Team #2 Members:
Jason Firko
Allan Cohen
Matt Behr
Dave Bartoski
Customer: Ed Kee
Advisor: Dr. James Glancey
Mission: Develop a non-destructive method and apparatus for
accurately determining the ripeness of watermelons.
Approach: Research and develop the best solution to the problem in
accordance with customer wants, constraints and the
engineering method. The solution will be developed using an
iterative process to insure compliance with derived metrics.
Background
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Watermelon Industry Key Facts:
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Grown in 90 countries on 5 continents
Worldwide production: More than 50 Billion
lbs./year
The U.S. is the fourth largest producer of
watermelons
70% of households in the U.S. buy
watermelons each year
33% of these buy at least 7 times per year
75% of all watermelons are purchased whole
Problem Description
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Present problems due to inaccurate testing:
• Unneeded destruction of melons for inspection
• Loss of money
• Poor quality of product
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Potential benefits of solution:
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Minimize waste
Reduce shipping costs
Prevent rejection of shipments
Improve overall quality of the product
Marketing advantage
Benefits of Solution:
 Statistics for a shipment of melons:
 2,000melons per. truck load (20lb. Avg. wt.) : 40,000 lbs.
 $0.08/lb. for seeded, and $0.16/lb. for seedless.
 Therefore total value = $3,200 - $6,400 + shipping costs
 Shipping costs average: $300 / load
 Total value from farmer to Broker: $3,500 - $ 6,700 / load
 Other important Notes:
 A shipment may be rejected for 2% unripe melons
 10% seasonal average of unripe melons
 Supplier responsible for all losses
Project Mission
Develop a non-destructive method and
apparatus for accurately determining the
ripeness of watermelons.
Customers & Wants
Name
Mr. Ed Kee
John Hastings
Jeff Wooden
Mark Collins
Mack Farms
Odanna Mathews
Joe Meloneater
10
0.45
0.25
0.15
0.1
0.05
Organization Rank 1st Want 2nd Want 3rd Want 4th Want 5th Want
Sponsor
Farmer
Farmer
Farmer
Broker
Acme
Giant
Produce Stand
FDA
USDA
consumer
OSHA
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8
8
8
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6
5
6
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3
4
Accurate
Portable
Portable
Portable
Easy to Use
Easy to Use
Durable
Durable
Durable
Cheap
Accurate
Accurate
Fast
Fast
Fast
Accurate
Accurate
Accurate
Cheap
Sterile
Sterile
Cost
Safe
Fast
Cheap
Cheap
Accurate
Safe
Safe
Accurate
Easy to Use
Easy to Use
Easy to Use
Easy to Use
Durable
Durable
Durable
Portable
Cheap
Portable
Portable
Fast
Constraints
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Maximum $3,000 budget
95% minimum accuracy
Abide by all food safety standards (FDA)
Abide by all work safety standards (OSHA)
Non-destructive
Benchmarking
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Benchmarking Strategy
 Traditional methods
 Broad spectrum search of related methods
 Narrowing of search to feasible techniques
Benchmarking Cont.
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Traditional Methods
 Thumping
 Stem color
 Skin color
 Germination period (35 days)
Benchmarking Cont.
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Related Procedures
Thumping/Resonance
Acoustic testing
Ultrasonic testing
Optoelectrics
Intrusive testing
Nuclear magnetic resonance
Electronic sensing of aromatic volatiles
Estimated Budget
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Testing equipment: $1,000 (depending on availability of equipment)
Produce for testing: $0
Prototype construction: $1,000
Allowable Budget: $3,000
Reserve Budget: $1,000
Schedule
ID
Tas k Name
3
Customer Night
1
Determine Customer Wants and Priortize
2
Benchmarking
4
Proposal Presentation
7
Preliminary Design and Research
5
Progress Rev iew
8
Consulting and Research Ref inement
6
Preliminary Design Report
9
Design Modif ication
10
Design Presentations
11
Wrap Up
Aug 30, '98
27
4
12
Sep 20, '98
20
28
6
Oc t 11, '98
14
22
Nov 1, '9 8
30
7
15
Nov 22, '98
23
1
9
Dec 13, '9
17
9/10
9/24
10/29
11/24
12/3
12/8
Conclusion
 Large market for watermelons
 Definite need for non-destructive test
 Numerous possible testing options
 Currently contacting experts in each
testing area