An FPGA-Based Machine Learning Tool for In-Situ Food Quality Tracking Using Sensor Fusion

Abstract

The continuous development of more accurate and selective bio- and chemo-sensors has led to a growing use of sensor arrays in different fields, such as health monitoring, cell culture analysis, bio-signals processing, or food quality tracking. The analysis and information extraction from the amount of data provided by these sensor arrays is possible based on Machine Learning techniques applied to sensor fusion. However, most of these computing solutions are implemented on costly and bulky computers, limiting its use in in-situ scenarios outside complex laboratory facilities. This work presents the application of machine learning techniques in food quality assessment using a single Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) chip. The characteristics of low-cost, low power consumption as well as low-size allow the application of the proposed solution even in space constrained places, as in food manufacturing chains. As an example, the proposed system is tested on an e-nose developed for beef classification and microbial population prediction.