Journal Article

Deep atrous context convolution generative adversarial network with corner key point extracted feature for nuts classification

Elakkiya, E., Priya, S., Devi, M. Shyamala, Jaiganesh, M.

2026

Overview

Deep learning-based nut classification has emerged as a viable way to automate the detection and categorization of different nut varieties in the food processing and agriculture sectors. Conventional techniques for classifying nuts mostly rely on manually created characteristics like texture, color, shape, or edges. These characteristics frequently fall short of capturing the image’s complete complexity, particularly when nuts show tiny visual variances. This research proposes Deep Atrous Context Convolution Generative Adversarial Network (DAC-GAN) model that categorize the 8 classes of nuts like brazil nuts, cashew, peanut, pecan nut, pistachio, chest nut, macadamia and Walnut. This research uses Common Nut KAGGLE dataset with 4,000 nuts images of 8 nuts classes. The DAC-GAN approach overcomes the difficulties of having limited labelled data for nut classification tasks by employing DCGANs’ ability to produce high-quality, synthetic nut images to supplement the dataset. The DCGAN comprises of a discriminator and a generator block. The discriminator block develops the ability to differentiate between synthetic and real images, while the generator block generates realistic nut images from random noise. The real images along with the DCGAN generated images are processed with feature filtering methods to extract the Corner Key Points Featured (CKPF) nuts images. To further enhance the feature selection, the CKPF edges are extracted from the image that provides unique, geometrically distinctive critical corners to further process for representative learning. To proceed with the effective feature extraction and model learning, the CKPF nuts images are processed with atrous convolution that capture the intricate details by expanding the receptive field without losing resolution. The novelty of this work exists by appending the filtration and atrous convolution that acquire the spatial data features from the nut’s images at various resolutions. Atrous convolution was refined by appending the pre-context and post-context block that add the image level information to the features. The effectiveness of the DAC-GAN model was validated with the traditional augmented dataset with all existing filtering images and CNN models. Implementation outcome shows that DAC-GAN found to exhibit high accuracy of 99.83% towards the nuts type classification. The superiority of the DAC-GAN method over traditional approaches is demonstrated by extensive experiments on augmented and DCGAN generated datasets, which achieve higher classification accuracy and generalization across a variety of nut type categorization. The outcome demonstrates that the DCGAN together with atrous convolution have the potential to be an effective tool for automating nut sorting in food industry.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group,Nature Portfolio
• Subject: 631/114 / 639/166 / 639/705 / Accuracy / Algorithms / Atrous convolution / Augmentation / Classification / Context block / Convolution / Corner key point / Datasets / Deep Learning / Food industry / Food processing / Generative Adversarial Networks / Humanities and Social Sciences / Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods / multidisciplinary / Neural Networks, Computer / Nuts / Nuts - classification / Receptive field / Science / Science (multidisciplinary)