Noise cancellation in on-line acoustic impulse response measurements for the quality assessment of consumption eggs

Vibration analysis is a challenging technique to assess the quality of agro-products in a non-destructive way. Recent research shows that the technique is feasible for off-line (desktop) measurements. The step towards an on-line implementation requires research on the robustness of the parameters in the presence of surrounding noise, since a microphone is used to capture the vibration characteristics of the products. Two different methods are used to cancel environmental noise from acoustic impulse response measurements. As a practical example measurements were taken on consumption eggs. The first technique, called independent component analysis (ICA), makes uses of statistical principles. The main disadvantage is the fact that the algorithm is, in its present form, a batch algorithm rather than a recursive algorithm. The second algorithm is based on the adaptive interference cancelling principle. The major drawback is the instability of the parameter estimates that can occur under certain conditions.