Apparatus and method of recording a storage location by size for harvested tubers

An apparatus for recording a storage location by size for harvested tubers, the apparatus comprising:

• a bin piler configured to deposit the harvested tubers at the storage location;
• a conveyor configured to move the harvested tubers towards the bin piler;
• a camera configured to capture one or more images of the harvested tubers moving on the conveyor;
• a location system configured to generate bin piler location data indicating a location of the bin piler;
• and
• a control system having at least one processor and a memory, the at least one processor configured to collectively:
• receive the one or more images from the camera;
• segment individual tuber depictions visible in the one or more images;
• determine one or more shape characteristics for a plurality of the individual tuber depictions;
• identify one or more unoccluded tuber depictions by determining that at least one of the individual tuber depictions is an unoccluded tuber depiction based on the one or more shape characteristics of that individual tuber depiction, the tuber depictions including occluded tuber depictions;
• measure a size of tubers corresponding to at least one of the unoccluded tuber depictions;
• attribute an average size to at least tubers corresponding to the occluded tuber depictions based on the size of tubers corresponding to the at least one of the unoccluded tuber depictions;
• determine the storage location of the harvested tubers based at least in part on the bin piler location data;
• and
• record in the memory the storage location of the harvested tubers and the average size.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable by a processor, wherein the instructions when executed configure the processor to:

• receive, from a camera, one or more images of harvested tubers moving on a conveyor towards a bin piler;
• segment individual tuber depictions visible in the one or more images;
• determine one or more shape characteristics for a plurality of the individual tuber depictions;
• identify one or more unoccluded tuber depictions by determining that at least one of the individual tuber depictions is an unoccluded tuber depiction based on the one or more shape characteristics of that individual tuber depiction, the tuber depictions including occluded tuber depictions;
• measure a size of tubers corresponding to at least one of the unoccluded tuber depictions;
• attribute an average size to at least tubers corresponding to the occluded tuber depictions based on the size of tubers corresponding to the at least one of the unoccluded tuber depictions;
• determine a storage location of the harvested tubers based at least in part on bin piler location data;
• and
• record in memory the storage location of the harvested tubers and the average size.