The Farmsort.one optical precision sorter is enhancing potato sorting technology by leveraging multiple industrial cameras along a 1.5-meter inspection section to sort potatoes by both size and quality in a single pass.
This system addresses the growing demands for higher quality standards and tackles labor shortages in the agricultural sector by offering a modernized solution for produce sorting.
As the agricultural industry faces increasing quality demands and a shortage of labor, businesses are turning to technology like Farmsort.one to advance their sorting processes. This advanced optical precision sorter integrates size grading with quality inspection, significantly reducing the necessity for manual re-sorting.
The core component is a 1.5-meter inspection section where potatoes are captured optically multiple times. Equipped with IDS Imaging Development Systems cameras, the sorter does not require each potato to rotate freely for inspection, allowing it to provide accurate sorting results even in the presence of foreign material or soil.
Farmsort.one classifies potatoes—both washed and unwashed—into up to five categories at a rate of up to two tonnes per hour using a fully electric conveyor system. This method, previously utilized mainly in large industrial operations, offers superior product handling with reduced energy consumption compared to pneumatic systems. It maintains accuracy despite processing conditions or labor limitations.
Industrial cameras from IDS are central to the sorter’s operation, capturing each potato several times across the inspection section. Using USB3 Vision cameras allows for seamless integration into current sorting lines, ensuring consistent performance. The system employs two to three IDS U3-3270CP Rev. 2.2 USB 3.0 Vision cameras per configuration for precise detection of defects, foreign objects, and accurate positioning.
Low-maintenance, continuous operation is ensured through the use of IDS peak SDK for reproducible settings and focus adjustments. Jürgen Hejna from IDS highlights the importance of reliability and integration security in sorting systems. Farmsort.one's capability to sort products into multiple grades in one pass has allowed 73% of its users to eliminate manual re-sorting altogether.
The system's modular architecture enables growers to start with a basic setup and expand it with additional outlets and cameras as needed, supported by the Grimme Group's service network. To further enhance defect detection, future versions aim to incorporate monocular depth analysis and multispectral inspection methods in the NIR and SWIR ranges. By utilizing IDS technology, Farmsort.one ensures stable and repeatable inspections, contributing significantly to modern agricultural operations.
The optical precision sorter uses multiple IDS industrial cameras along a 1.5-metre inspection section to classify potatoes by size and quality, with up to five grades produced in a single pass.
Rising quality requirements and labor shortages are forcing agricultural businesses to modernise their sorting processes. Those seeking to ensure product quality while reducing the burden on staff need more than a simple pass/fail separation system. What is required is multi-grade sorting that reliably classifies produce by both size and quality and has proven itself in continuous operation.
This is precisely where the Farmsort.one optical precision sorter comes in. It brings industrial inspection principles to small and medium-sized agricultural businesses, combining size grading and quality inspection in a single pass. In most cases, it eliminates the need for manual re-sorting altogether.
Rising quality requirements
At the core of the system is a 1.5-metre inspection section. Along this section, each potato is captured optically several times. Depending on the configuration, two or three industrial cameras from IDS Imaging Development Systems monitor the continuous product flow from different angles.
Unlike systems that inspect each tuber from all sides at a single inspection station, the assessment does not rely on every individual object rotating freely. Instead, quality is evaluated directly within the process, based on repeated inspections, redundancy and controlled product handling. This enables the system to deliver reproducible results even when foreign material or adhering soil is present.
Delivering reproducible results
“We did not want a spot assessment like those used in many conventional systems on the market, but rather a controlled inspection over a defined distance,” explains Jan Kiwitt, Project Manager at schmiede.one. “The combination of a guided conveyor system and multiple inspections enables reliable detection of quality characteristics while maintaining a consistent throughput.”
Reduced energy consumption
Farmsort.one sorts both unwashed and washed potatoes into up to five grades at throughput rates of up to two tonnes per hour. At the core of the system is a fully electric conveyor-based track system, a concept previously used primarily in large-scale industrial operations. Compared with pneumatic sorting mechanisms, it offers more precise product handling, lower wear and tear, and reduced energy consumption.
The controlled guidance of the produce forms the basis for consistent sorting results, even when processing unwashed potatoes, foreign material or crops harvested under challenging conditions, where free-flowing systems can lose accuracy. At the same time, it enables continuous operation regardless of labor availability.
Short transmission paths
For visual inspection, schmiede.one relies on industrial cameras from IDS. They capture each potato multiple times along the 1.5-metre inspection section, enabling objective quality assessment directly within the sorting process. For compact integration into existing sorting lines, USB3 Vision industrial cameras are used. Short transmission paths, straightforward integration and reliable image transfer ensure consistent inspection performance throughout the entire inspection section.
Depending on the specific configuration of the system, two to three IDS U3-3270CP Rev. 2.2 USB 3.0 Vision cameras are used. One camera classifies the objects and detects both foreign objects, such as stones, and small defects on the tubers, such as wireworm holes. Another camera tracks every single object along the conveyor belt. When used in conjunction with a rotary encoder, the position of each tuber can be determined with precision, enabling damaged produce or produce that does not meet specifications to be selectively removed.
Low-maintenance continuous operation
Integration is carried out using the IDS peak SDK, which supports reproducible parameterisation, correct camera mounting and precise focus adjustment. “In line-integrated sorting systems, reliability and integration security are key factors, alongside image quality,” emphasises Jürgen Hejna, Product Manager for 2D Machine Vision at IDS. “Reliable interfaces, long-term availability and reproducible camera settings are crucial for low-maintenance continuous operation.”
Compromising sorting accuracy
Rather than simply distinguishing between “good” and “bad” produce, Farmsort.one sorts potatoes by both size and quality in a single pass into up to five grades. Defective potatoes are removed via the first outlet, oversized potatoes via the second, while Grade A produce remains in the main product stream.
This results in market-ready produce straight from the sorter, eliminating the manual re-sorting step typically required when using systems that only separate defects. Under real-world operating conditions, many farms achieve throughput rates of 1.4 to 1.7 tonnes per hour without compromising sorting accuracy. As many as 73 per cent of users have eliminated manual re-sorting altogether, significantly reducing their reliance on sorting personnel.
Season-critical continuous operation
The system has been designed with a modular architecture. Growers can start with a smaller configuration and later expand the system with additional sorting outlets or extra cameras. The line control system is designed for flexibility and supports both 24 V signals and FlowControl. An optional remote monitoring capability allows sorting parameters to be adjusted and optimized remotely.
Farmsort.one is a solution developed within the Grimme Group and is already in use on more than 50 farms. Service and sales are supported by an established network, helping to ensure the system’s technical availability during season-critical continuous operation.
Additional methods for improving defect detection are being investigated for future applications. These include monocular depth analysis and multispectral inspection methods in the NIR and SWIR ranges. The aim is to reliably record further quality characteristics and to supplement visual sorting with additional objective criteria. Industrial cameras and Software from IDS provide the technical foundation for stable, repeatable inspection and enable the integration of camera-based quality assessment into compact sorting lines.
