Microwave sensor to determine fruit quality

In this work, long microwaves are used to identify some quality levels of various fruits, which can be purchased in popular markets and supermarkets in Medellin, Colombia. The electromagnetic waves operate in a range of 300 to 600 MHz, ranging from 100 to 50 cm in air. When generated by the equipment, these waves travel to the permittivity sensor connected to the equipment and are radiated by the sensor to propagate through the selected fruits, the combination of sensor and fruit determines both the response frequency and its intensity. Thus, according to the response obtained by the sensor, this technique allows for determining some specific characteristics of the fruit, such as the amount of juice concerning the others, the level of ripeness, or whether its state is still suitable for human consumption. This identification method offers the advantage of being non-invasive, so the fruit does not need to be subjected to a chemical to be analyzed, altering its flavor or consistency, nor is it damaged or needs to be discarded after examination. In addition, the equipment used for the study is inexpensive and portable, therefore, the analysis can be performed in the field, in storage warehouses, or on commercial shelves, since it is only necessary to place the sensor on the fruit or vice versa, activate the generation of electromagnetic waves in the equipment and wait three seconds to obtain the response of the quality level analysis.