Application of non-conventional sensor technologies to the automatic monitoring and control of the virgin olive oil production process

Abstract

In recent years the production of virgin olive oil has experienced positive growth from qualitative and quantitative points of view, thanks to the transference of knowledge from the research centres to the production plant. However, the degree of automation of the virgin olive oil production process is at an earlier stage than other agronomic industries. In this context, the work developed in this doctoral thesis is seeking to deepen the application of two non-invasive technologies, near infrared spectroscopy and computer vision, in order to acquire information at process level, in different phases, and fundamentally with two specific purposes: (1) to assess in a qualitative form what is happening in the process from a physicochemical and organoleptic point of view, and (2) to use the acquired information in order to feed the automatic control structures at local level (sub-process), global level (process) or even in the decision making process about the operational mode of the production plant - i.e. the production planning