{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,9]],"date-time":"2026-04-09T12:27:43Z","timestamp":1775737663360,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,12]],"date-time":"2023-01-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1673481600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Programma di sviluppo rurale per il Veneto","award":["23\/12\/2016"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["23\/12\/2016"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Cocoon sorting is one of the most labor-demanding activities required both at the end of the agricultural production and before the industrial reeling process to obtain an excellent silk quality. In view of the possible relaunch of European sericulture, the automatization of this production step is mandatory both to reduce silk costs and to standardize fiber quality. The described research starts from this criticality in silk production (the manual labor required to divide cocoons into different quality classes) to identify amelioration solutions. To this aim, the automation of this activity was proposed, and a first prototype was designed and built. This machinery is based on the use of three cameras and imaging algorithms identifying the shape and size of the cocoons and outside stains, a custom-made light sensor and an AI model to discard dead cocoons. The current efficiency of the machine is about 80 cocoons per minute. In general, the amelioration obtained through this research involves both the application of traditional sensors\/techniques to an unusual product and the design of a dedicated sensor for the identification of dead\/alive pupae inside the silk cocoons. A general picture of the overall efficiency of the new cocoon-sorting prototype is also outlined.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s23020868","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,12]],"date-time":"2023-01-12T04:29:38Z","timestamp":1673497778000},"page":"868","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Automated Prototype for Bombyx mori Cocoon Sorting Attempts to Improve Silk Quality and Production Efficiency through Multi-Step Approach and Machine Learning Algorithms"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"23","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0569-944X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Simone","family":"Vasta","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l\u2019Analisi dell\u2019Economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4035-4199","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Simone","family":"Figorilli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l\u2019Analisi dell\u2019Economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1245-8882","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luciano","family":"Ortenzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l\u2019Analisi dell\u2019Economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (DAFNE), Tuscia University of Viterbo, 01100 Viterbo, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1853-7642","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Simona","family":"Violino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l\u2019Analisi dell\u2019Economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3711-1399","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Corrado","family":"Costa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l\u2019Analisi dell\u2019Economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9886-3194","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lavinia","family":"Moscovini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l\u2019Analisi dell\u2019Economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7580-9053","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesco","family":"Tocci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l\u2019Analisi dell\u2019Economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2035-1257","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Federico","family":"Pallottino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l\u2019Analisi dell\u2019Economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9793-0893","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alberto","family":"Assirelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l\u2019Analisi dell\u2019Economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4372-5688","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alessio","family":"Saviane","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l\u2019Analisi dell\u2019Economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Agricoltura e Ambiente, Laboratorio di Gelsibachicoltura, 35143 Padua, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7703-188X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Silvia","family":"Cappellozza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l\u2019Analisi dell\u2019Economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Agricoltura e Ambiente, Laboratorio di Gelsibachicoltura, 35143 Padua, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"(2022, November 21). Available online: https:\/\/www.tradeforum.org\/Silk-in-World-Markets\/."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Tzenov, P., Cappellozza, S., and Saviane, A. (2021). Black, Caspian Seas and Central Asia Silk Association (BACSA) for the Future of Sericulture in Europe and Central Asia. Insects, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/insects13010044"},{"key":"ref_3","first-page":"59","article-title":"Gelsibachicoltura: Luci ed ombre sulla ripresa di quest\u2019attivit\u00e0 in Europa","volume":"5","author":"Cappellozza","year":"2022","journal-title":"Riv. Divulg. Cult. Agrar."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2824","DOI":"10.1002\/adma.201104477","article-title":"Silk Materials\u2014A Road to Sustainable High Technology","volume":"24","author":"Tao","year":"2012","journal-title":"Adv. Mater."},{"key":"ref_5","first-page":"12","article-title":"European Silk Forum. Per quanto tempo ancora la Cina fornir\u00e0 seta all\u2019Europa?","volume":"63","year":"2011","journal-title":"La Seta"},{"key":"ref_6","unstructured":"Lee, Y.W. (1999). Silk reeling and testing manual. FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin n.136, FAO."},{"key":"ref_7","first-page":"37","article-title":"Allevamento del baco da seta, opportunit\u00e0 e produzioni","volume":"44","author":"Trestini","year":"2018","journal-title":"L\u2019informatore Agrario"},{"key":"ref_8","unstructured":"(2022, November 21). Available online: https:\/\/www.panorama.it\/news\/cronaca\/seta-italiana."},{"key":"ref_9","first-page":"899","article-title":"Scope and potential applications of artificial intelligence in tropical tasar silkworm Antheraea mylitta D. seed production","volume":"9","author":"Nadaf","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Entomol. Zool. Stud."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103316","DOI":"10.1016\/j.isci.2021.103316","article-title":"Deep learning enhanced terahertz imaging of silkworm eggs development","volume":"24","author":"Xiong","year":"2021","journal-title":"iScience"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kiratiratanapruk, K., and Sinthupinyo, W. (2016, January 24\u201327). Silkworm egg image analysis using different color information for improving quality inspection. Proceedings of the 2016 International Symposium on Intelligent Signal Processing and Communication Systems (ISPACS), Phuket, Thailand.","DOI":"10.1109\/ISPACS.2016.7824731"},{"key":"ref_12","first-page":"2","article-title":"An Image-based Eri Silkworm Pupa Grading Method Using Shape, Color, and Size","volume":"15","author":"Kanjanawanishkul","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Intell. Eng. Syst."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"012017","DOI":"10.1088\/1742-6596\/1769\/1\/012017","article-title":"Convolution Neural Network Application in the Simultaneous Detection of Gender and Variety of Silkworm (Bombyx mori) Cocoons","volume":"1769","author":"Dai","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Phys. Conf. Ser."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"113857","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sna.2022.113857","article-title":"A discrimination model for dead cocoons using near-infrared transmission spectra analyses","volume":"346","author":"Lee","year":"2022","journal-title":"Sens. Actuator A Phys."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"299","DOI":"10.1016\/j.snb.2018.04.093","article-title":"High-speed sex identification and sorting of living silkworm pupae using near-infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometrics","volume":"268","author":"Zhu","year":"2018","journal-title":"Sens. Actuators B Chem."},{"key":"ref_16","unstructured":"Assirelli, A., Cabassi, G., Cappellozza, S., Costa, C., Figorilli, S., Marinoni, L., Pallottino, F., and Saviane, A. (2019). Procedimento e Apparecchiatura per la Cernita Automatizzata di Insetti. (Patent No. IT201900016208A1)."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"62","DOI":"10.1109\/TSMC.1979.4310076","article-title":"A Threshold Selection Method from Gray-Level Histograms","volume":"9","author":"Otsu","year":"1979","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Syst. Man Cybern."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bookstein, F. (1997). Morphometric Tools for Landmark Data: Geometry and Biology, Cambridge University Press.","DOI":"10.2307\/2534038"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"302","DOI":"10.2307\/2413076","article-title":"A comparison of Fourier methods for the description of wing shape in mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae)","volume":"3","author":"Rohlf","year":"1984","journal-title":"Syst. Zool."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"179","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1502-3931.1995.tb01611.x","article-title":"Elliptic Fourier shape analysis of fossil bivalves: Some practical considerations","volume":"28","author":"Crampton","year":"1995","journal-title":"Lethaia"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"768","DOI":"10.1007\/s11947-010-0389-2","article-title":"Quantitative method for shape description of almond cultivars (Prunus amygdalus Batsch)","volume":"5","author":"Antonucci","year":"2012","journal-title":"Food Bioprocess Technol."},{"key":"ref_22","unstructured":"Assirelli, A., Cabassi, G., Cappellozza, S., Costa, C., Figorilli, S., Marinoni, L., Pallottino, F., and Saviane, A. (2019). Deposito della domanda di brevetto per Invenzione Industriale dal titolo: \u201cProcedimento e apparecchiatura per la cernita automatizzata di insetti\u201d. (Patent No. 102019000016208)."},{"key":"ref_23","unstructured":"Costa, C., Menesatti, P., Antonucci, F., and Pallottino, F. (2014). Deposito della domanda di brevetto per Invenzione Industriale dal Titolo: \u201cSistema e metodo per Identificazione e Selezione di Molluschi\u201d. (Patent No. 1424804)."}],"container-title":["Sensors"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/23\/2\/868\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T18:03:53Z","timestamp":1760119433000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/23\/2\/868"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,12]]},"references-count":23,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,1]]}},"alternative-id":["s23020868"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/s23020868","relation":{},"ISSN":["1424-8220"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1424-8220","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,12]]}}}