Development and Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Pneumatic System for the Automated Coring of Rocoto (Capsicum Pubescens)

Dyland A.S.; Hermann C.B.; Jose B.F.; Joel F.V.; Julio R.R.; Moisés G.C. · 2025 8th International Conference on Robotics, Control and Automation Engineering, RCAE 2025 (2025) · DOI: 10.1109/rcae66389.2025.11355316

Resumen

In the industrial processing of rocoto (Capsicum pubescens), the coring process is a critical step due to the high concentration of capsaicinoids in the fruit's placenta, which pose a risk to operators due to their irritating effect. The lack of automation in this operation creates limitations in the production chain, affecting the effectiveness and safety of the process. To improve productivity and reduce direct contact with the fruit, an automated pneumatic prototype system for coring rocotos was developed. The designed system integrates a pneumatically actuated coring mechanism, fruit orientation and holding devices, and a control system composed of a Coolmay L02 programmable logic controller (PLC) and a Raspberry Pi 5, interconnected via TCP/IP. The operating interface was developed in Node-RED, complemented by a 7-inch LCD screen for real-time visual monitoring. Experimental tests were carried out under laboratory conditions using representative samples. The results obtained indicate a coring rate of up to 86.66% and a damage rate of up to 13.33%. The average processing time per unit was 30.88 seconds, which allowed for an effective productivity of 116 fruits per hour. Furthermore, automation achieved an estimated productivity increase of approximately 61.5% over direct fruit handling, which significantly contributes to minimizing exposure to irritating compounds. These results support the viability of the system as a technological solution applicable in agroindustrial contexts, particularly in the automation of handling fruits with spicy characteristics or those that are difficult to handle.

Instituciones: Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas