A burrowing robot which ‘swims’ through grain bulks to ensure crops are stored more efficiently has been launched by agritech developer Crover.
The t-shaped robot, which is being funded by Innovate UK, Scottish Enterprise and private funders, has been designed to offer farmers better insight into the environmental conditions of grain crops, such as wheat and barley, when stored in sheds or silos.
Traditional processes for store checks, which rely on manual sampling with a spear, are often time consuming, labour intensive and potentially hazardous.
Crover’s compact device has in-built moisture and temperature sensors and uses two domed-shaped wheels to propel itself through grain or other material in a bulk stack. It then feeds back data to a dashboard, giving users a more accurate understanding of the grain's condition.
Temperature and humidity have a profound impact on grain storage and can contribute to the infestation of mould or insects which cause farmers to destroy significant portions of their stored crops. It is estimated that up to 30% of commodity grain is lost from the supply chain globally every year as a result.
The Edinburgh-based start-up has recently taken up residency at the National Robotarium, a new research facility on the edge of the capital, which opened in September to define, develop and resolve industry challenges through the application of robotics and artificial intelligence.
Lorenzo Conti, founder and managing director of Crover, said: “In practice, grain storage operators are advised to sample bulk stacks at every 50cm intervals, but the reality is that, if done manually, someone could spend the best part of a week carrying out a single store check depending on the size of their crop load.
“Our device is designed to be controlled from one spot and saves whoever is operating it many hours of work as well as improving accuracy.
“The robot can ‘swim’ through the grain quickly generating a 3D map of temperature and moisture across the stack - this kind of insight can help people like farmers to better understand the condition of their grain and make informed decisions earlier like increasing ventilation or taking pest control measures.“
He continued: “Working with the National Robotarium has significantly supported Crover’s development by providing us with access to state-of-the-art office and lab facilities and an extensive ecosystem of collaborators, industry experts and academic teams.”
Steve Maclaren, chief operating officer at the National Robotarium, stated “Innovations like Crover’s grain storage device - which could help solve a global problem for the world’s agriculture sector - are a great example of this mandate in action.
“The National Robotarium continues to be a leading collaborative hub, bringing together academics and global companies. Working with tenant companies like Crover, we want to provide a catalyst for entrepreneurship, and deliver sustainable economic benefit to the whole of the UK, its industries and society.”
UK Government Minister for Scotland Malcolm Offord added: “Projects like this demonstrate the collaborative benefits the hub is providing, with resulting economic and environmental advances delivered to the UK.
“The UK Government is supporting the National Robotarium facilities at Heriot-Watt University with £21m as part of more than £2.2bn investment to level up communities across Scotland.“
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