Fruit contact pressure distributions - equipment

A commercially available tactile sensing system allows the pressure distribution between contacting surfaces to be determined in real time. This sensor has been used to determine the pressure distribution between fruits, mainly apples, in contact with flat and curved surfaces. The sensor consists of a thin flexible plastic film containing a grid of sensitive material that responds according to the pressure at each point on the mesh. Details of the sensor and examples of experimental results obtained with the system are described. The device was found to have a non-linear output, and the data needed to be calibrated to improve the accuracy of the results. Examples of the surface pressure distribution generated in the contact area as apple fruit were loaded to failure, and the effects of commercial packaging materials on pressure distribution are presented. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.