Bilingual text here: https://english.ftvnews.com.tw/news/2026512W0AEA?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description
雙語文字版: https://english.ftvnews.com.tw/news/2026512W0AEA?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description

Our official website: ➔ https://english.ftvnews.com.tw/

Follow us on
Facebook: ➔ https://www.facebook.com/ftvformosanews
X (Twitter): ➔ https://x.com/FTV_Taiwan_News
Watermelon season has arrived in Hualien. In the past, professional appraisers would tap watermelons to judge their ripeness, but these experts are becoming harder to find, as many are aging and haven’t passed down their skills. To make up for this, the Hualien County Government and Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology jointly developed an AI tapping device to determine ripeness. The technology took two years to develop and has already been patented.

The best way to tell if a watermelon is ripe is by tapping it.

A higher, brighter sound means the fruit isn’t ready yet, while a deeper, fuller sound means it’s ripe. But most people could tap on a watermelon until it’s bruised and still not be able to tell the difference.

There are watermelon appraisers who are experts at this, but as they get older and their hearing declines, farmers have been struggling to judge their fruits’ ripeness. Now, with a collaboration between the Hualien County Government and Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, AI can help determine whether a watermelon is ripe.

Watermelon farmer
Embracing technology
After listening for a while, appraisers’ ears might get tired and they might make mistakes, so this device can help us to improve judgement accuracy. We use it to tap and listen, confirming whether the assessment is consistent and reliable.

When farmers tap a watermelon with this AI-powered device, it analyzes the sound and shows a green light if the fruit is ripe. It’s already about 85% accurate.

Huang Neng-fu
Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology president
By loading different sound models into it, the device can perform different functions. For example, when we tap a watermelon, it can determine its level of ripeness—say 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90%—or even detect internal damage or bruising.

Chen Shu-wen
Hualien Agriculture Department director
The Hualien County Government looks at the development of our technology and works together with our farmers to identify their needs and help them reduce labor costs.

From tapping and listening to using an AI-powered device, ensuring farmers can accurately determine watermelons’ ripeness will allow everyone to enjoy delicious watermelon this summer.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#fruit #watermelon #Hualien #ripeness #AI #technology #patent #summer #agriculture #farmers

#台灣新聞 #TaiwanNews #民視新聞 #FTV新聞 #Taiwan