Plant imaging and spectral scanning system and method

An apparatus for taking images of a plant located within a plant container moving on a conveyor belt, the apparatus comprising:

• an imaging housing having an interior region, an entrance opening and an exit opening to permit the plant container to enter and exit the housing on the conveyor belt, respectively, the imaging housing having a generally planar wall located on a first side of the conveyor belt and an arcuate wall located on a second, opposite side of the conveyor belt, the arcuate wall having a concave shape directed toward the generally planar wall;
• a scanning housing having an interior region, an entrance opening and an exit opening to permit the plant containers to enter and exit the housing on the conveyor belt passing through the scanning housing, the interior region of the scanning housing being spaced apart from the interior region of the imaging housing;
• a plurality of lights located on the arcuate wall of the imaging housing to illuminate the plant in the plant container located on the conveyor belt in front of the generally planar wall;
• and
• a camera located in the imaging housing above the conveyor belt to capture images of the illuminated plant in the plant container located on the conveyor belt;
• at least one high intensity lamp located in the interior region of the scanning housing above the conveyor belt to illuminate the plant located in the plant container on the conveyor belt;
• a spectroradiometer probe located in the interior region of the scanning housing above the conveyor belt to capture a reflected spectral signature from the illuminated plant;
• first and second shields located in the scanning housing above the conveyor belt and below the at least one high intensity lamp and the probe, the first and second shields being configured to obscure the conveyor belt from the probe, wherein a stalk of the plant extends through a slot between the first and second shields so that leaves of the plant are located above the first and second shields for illumination by the at least one high intensity lamp and for scanning by the probe;
• and
• a light excluding tunnel disposed along the conveyor belt between the imaging housing and the scanning housing, the light excluding tunnel operable to prevent light from the plurality of lights in the imaging housing from influencing the camera located in spectroradiometer probe in the scanning housing.