Development of an image analysis based architecture for the automated control of flotation processes

In the framework of the EU Esprit LTR Project N° 24931 ChaCo “The characterisation of flotation froth structure and colour by machine vision”, the step by step procedure adopted in order to develop a software and hardware architecture based on machine vision for the flotation process control is described. The froth images were collected from the industrial flotation plants of Garpenberg (Sweden) and Pyhasalmi (Finland). After that, some data sets of images were extracted from the source images in order to have a handier sample and to create some subsets for the validation of the results. The next step was the definition of processing algorithms able to characterise the froth, and their subsequent implementation (colour, morphological, textural and other parameters). Then a regression analysis to find correlation with the mineral concentration in the froth was performed. The estimated algorithms were applied to the remaining data sets of images for the validation of the model. Once tuned this procedure and verified its validity, the image processing algorithms were integrated in a software and hardware architecture in order to realise the final prototype of the on-line froth analyser.