Comparison of Classer Extraneous Matter Calls and Image Shape and Color Measurements

Cotton extraneous matter (EM) calls are the only manual calls still regularly made by AMS classers. In order to develop a machine EM classing system, a better understanding of what triggers a classer EM call is needed. AMS classers were tasked in identifying EM (bark/grass) in and assigning EM calls to large-area, color images of cotton samples. Image analyses were also used to make shape and color measurements of the trash objects in the sample images. These measurements and classer bark/grass calls were compared and statistically analyzed to reveal correlations. The goals of this analysis were to develop criteria for identifying individual objects as bark/grass and to establish thresholds for assigning EM calls to cotton samples using machine measurements. This paper summarizes the findings of this work.