Author
Adar Fridman, Remko Marcel Boom, Serafim Bakalis and Raghavendra Selvan
Abstract
High-throughput methods can accelerate food formulation design, where combining ingredients to achieve desired textures and stability is central, yet accessible tools for screening gelation are scarce. We present a workflow that combines a 96-well plate platform with sphere displacement tracking and a deep learning-based image analysis pipelineto map gelation behavior in parallel. A YOLOv8 model tracked spheres in each well. Gelatin was selected as a model system to validate the approach. Sphere velocity decreased with increasing concentration, capturing immobilization thresholds and systematic hysteresis between cooling and reheating. Validation against oscillatory rheology showed strong agreement with sol–gel boundaries, with only minor deviations due to discrete temperature steps. This demonstrates that deep learning–assisted sphere tracking provides a reliable, low-cost proxy for rheology, offering a practical tool for rapid, automated food formulation screening.










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