oe

Wednesday, December 21, 1988

‘LIGHTS SHINE AS Santa Claus leads his reindeer from
his sleigh on top of the J.B. Sheet Metal. shop on
Kirkpatrick Crescent in Ce

For the third time in five years

Brentwood Coiffures was. pre-
sented with the Mayor’s Trophy
for the’ most innovative display. in ~

the Central. Saanich Business
Association’s Christmas decorat-
ing: contest. |

The: awards were presented at
the business association’ s annual

One bad apple can do more. than
“spoil the barrel... *.
For B.C. apple growers, ‘that bad

apple can'mean lost customers: and a
lower profits. -

But. Konrad Colbow has’ a reli
tion. Together. with associate
Andrew’ Brown, the: Simon’ Fraser

University physicist has developed a

an innovative, automated apple- .

~ sorter that ‘is expected to save. -
considerable ‘time. and’ money for *,

“B.C, growers.

Currently, human and ‘mechani- ;

cal workers sort. apples as they:
pass along. 12. parallel apple

‘ “assembly lincs.””. Working at the -

rate of four apples per second
each, machines initially sort:
apples into cither “‘cating’’ or
“juice” categories by weight and
~ color at two scparate stages, oF
stations. :

A: ‘more accurale system is.

necded by the apple industry,
which dictates that as few US SIX

errors for every 100 apples are

unacceptable, *
~ This means ‘that. the machine-
“sort must be double- checked man-
‘ually, taking human time away
from other sorting, processing and
packaging jobs, says Colbow,
Funded by grants from the Sci-
ence Council of B.C. the National
Research Council and the Okana-
gan North Co-opentive, Colbow

and Brown have married conven”
“technology.

‘uh!

-tional “off-the-shell

Christmas social, Sunday at the
Lion’s Hall. .

Smitty’s Restaurant in Bren-.
twood. was honored for a first
place judging in the indoor decor-
ating category.

ntral Saanich. The display

Ticd for second place was Sim’s
Village Candy and Brentwood —
_. Coif. fures. Third place went to the

1d apples turn away. cusfomers

and. a tailor- made computer. pro-
‘gram to.make the existing technol: »::

ogy smarter and more efficient.
“As. the: apples, nestled in-indi- -

‘A black-and- white i image of the»
apple and its. mirrored reflections
‘is taken. by he camera. =.

-That image:is then frozen. by a
: “frame grabber,” a computerized
“device that. converts: the: video.”
image into a digital image and
sends it to an IBM AT computer
for analysis.

By analyzing. the shailes of gray
in the image, the. computer deter-
mines the percentage of surface

arca of cach apple that is: covered,

by the desired color.
The color is a good indicator of
an apple's ripeness, says Colbow.
At present, the system can only
take a “look” at the surface of the
apple not covered: by the rubber
_ conveyor cup. Colbow and Brown,
however, are trying oul various
ways of rotating the apple so that it
can be examined from all. sides,
Once. the degree. of ripeness at
cach apple is. determined, the
apples canbe sorted according, to
any standard desired,
For cxample, the system can be
seLto send onlyapples that are at

”

“CANN apple" route,

Ly cury living in a natural setting”

- A unique blend of 75 adult orientated Curt iage chomes n ntled
. throughout 75 acres of manicured and prestine parkland. ,
OPEN DAILY 10-50

"1255 Wain Road, Sidney 655

TT

sorted by size. In

vidual: rubber. cups, whiz along ©
~ conveyor. belts, they pass: a-station.
outfitted with: two: mirrors and
"video. camera. - .

least KO percent red along the :

THE REVIEW 9781-2nd St., Sidney B.C.

won first place in the outdoor category of the Central
. Saanich Business Association's Christmas decorating

contest.

-Peninsula Co-Op on Keating

Crossroad.

In the window category G.W.G.
Rentals captured first place hon-
ors. The company, owned by Ed
Gait; won the Mayor’s Trophy in.
1986 and.1987.

_ The window at Spooners Ladies
Wear.took second place while the
‘Thought Shop and Brentwood

are checked for
-simultancously.
addition, a com-
“puterized record is made for the.
grower. whose fruit.is being proc-
sssed ‘and: packaged for sale. .

“AS. the apples.
‘color, they arc

within six months. we will have a
prototype in the Ok anagan.””

“If ficld trials. go as well as .
“expected, Colbow plans to make.

the apple-sorter available commer-
-Cially to growers

_ basic technology can be applied to
other f ruits and vegetables, as well

as to many industrial jobs where

fast, inexpensive and. efficient

automated inspection would help

speed up production.

_. Infant car seats must face
the rear of the car.

Phase | Sold
Phase 2 Over
50% Sold.

~“We:shave it working quite will .
-in the lab,” says Colbow. “I hope.

around the world, -
Further, he believes that the

Florist were deadlocked in third
place.
In the outdoor decorating catc-

gory J.B. Shect Metal on Kirkpa-
‘trick Crescent took first place

honors. The Prairie. Inn in Saani-
chton placed second and the panel

of judges chose G.W.G. Rentals as:

the third place winner.

2411 Hanson
~ Avenue
‘f Sidney.
856. 5252

Mon, Dee. 26 and Tues. Dec. 27 :
OPEN 10 A.M. to5 PM.

107 Konnoth

Page C5

Fe eee

Bringing you every good wish
for happiness this Christmas
and in the coming year.

SPARLING REAL ESTATE LTD.

Tom Sparling, Donald Sparling

2489 BEACON AVE. 656-5511

CLOSED |

H OPENTILL9 AM R : OP!
CHRISTMAS EVE N OW,O P E N rnc DAT

TILL 5 PM |

#5A 9764 sth St. Sidney Centre
(Located behind Sears)

JUST ARRIVED SUPER SPECIAL

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ENGLISH | PLUM PUDDING |
WITH HOT BRANDY SAUCE.

; TEAS “OR ‘COFFEE
, Se ctor

(Please no returns on these days.)

-LADIE ES! WEAR

120 W.2nd 1260 0. - 297 5th St,

~ Nunean Avonua , Fonwood Courtonay. .
748-1512 Qualicum . + Gampbel RY th ea
oe Boach ».. River. Pegged A,
: 752-2252 '

207-9233 ©