XCotton: Advancing AI-Enabled Hardware/Software Integrated System for Foreign Fiber Cleaning

Abstract Cotton is a critical agricultural product and industrial raw material, playing a key role in the national economies and people's living conditions, particularly in developing countries. However, cotton picking and processing often result in the contamination with various foreign fibers, such as hair, hemp rope, plastic film, and polypropylene rope. These contaminants are difficult to remove during textile processing and tend to break into small fragments, significantly reducing the quality of cotton products and negatively impacting the cotton industry. In this paper, we present an AI-enabled hardware-software integrated system--XCotton, for identifying and removing foreign fibers. Our system has been deployed in actual cotton production environments in the multiple regions in China, Central Asia, and Africa. XCotton achieves a cleaning efficiency of 1000kg/h, representing a 43% improvement, with only 14 kWh energy consumption (63% less). Moreover, XCotton brings significant business values to its manufacturer and clients. XCotton not only enhances the quality of cotton products but also contributes to the value-adding and upgrading of the cotton industry in developing regions, supporting economic growth and improving living conditions.