Abstract: The invention relates to a method, a sensor unit and a machine for detecting “sugar end” defects in potatoes. The method comprises irradiating potatoes with at least one light source, for a plurality of locus points on each potato, wherein locus points lie on the end regions of the potato and other locus points lie in a central region of the potato. The light reflected from and/or transmitted through the respective locus points is selectively projected onto at least one photo sensor which generates light measurement signals for each locus point from the received light. At least one classification feature is determined from the light measurement signals. If at least one classification feature corresponds to a predefined “sugar end” criterion the respective potato is classified as having “sugar end” defects.

Abstract: A process for differentiating conductive and/or ferromagnetic objects (O) in a material stream (2) comprises generating an electromagnetic alternating field by exciting a coil (S) with a sinusoidal voltage (ue(t)) of a constant frequency (fM), detecting an impedance change in the coil, which has been caused by an object (O), by determining at least one pair of values from a peak value (ÎM) and a phase shift (?m) of the coil current (iM(t)) toward the excitation potential (ue(t)) of the coil, and determining the material by comparing the peak values (ÎM) and phase shifts (?m) with reference values, wherein the peak values (ÎM) of the coil current (iM(t)) are calculated at at least one measuring phase angle (?m) with the aid of a window comparator having a constant window width (?i), wherein the time (?tM) between the window inlet point (p4) and the window outlet point (p6) of the coil current (iM(t)) is measured and the gradient of the current profile (iM(t)) is calculated from the window width (?i) and the me

Abstract: A process for the optical detection of objects moved at a conveying speed. The process comprises illuminating the object in a temporally consecutive manner with a sequence of at least two light pulses of different colors and taking images of the object during each light pulse with a monochromatic optical area sensor comprising many sensor lines. The process comprises reading out and temporarily storing at least as many lines of each image as there are different colors of the light pulses. The read-out lines have a line pitch relative to each other. Sequentially combining lines from images taken under illumination by different colors to form color lines, with the lines combined with each other having the aforesaid line pitch or a multiple thereof relative to each other when they are being read out, and assembling the color lines into an overall color picture.

Abstract: A process for the optical detection of objects moved at a conveying speed. The process comprises illuminating the object in a temporally consecutive manner with a sequence of at least two light pulses of different colors and taking images of the object during each light pulse with a monochromatic optical area sensor comprising many sensor lines. The process comprises reading out and temporarily storing at least as many lines of each image as there are different colors of the light pulses. The read-out lines have a line pitch relative to each other. Sequentially combining lines from images taken under illumination by different colors to form color lines, with the lines combined with each other having the aforesaid line pitch or a multiple thereof relative to each other when they are being read out, and assembling the color lines into an overall color picture.

Abstract: A process for the optical detection of moving objects comprises: illuminating the object either with light pulses having different intensities and/or pulse durations, or with light pulses optionally having different intensities and/or pulse durations, and with secondary light (SL) which induces an optically detectable secondary effect; taking images of the object under different illuminations with a monochromatic optical area sensor organized line by line; reading out and temporarily storing at least so many lines of each image as there are different illuminations, with the read-out lines having a line pitch relative to each other, sequentially combining lines from the images taken to form combination lines, with the lines combined with each other having the line pitch or a multiple thereof, respectively; and assembling the combination lines into a combinatory overall picture.