Agritech company Crover has developed a unique burrowing robot which ‘swims’ through grain bulks to ensure the crops’ condition and efficient storage.
The t-shaped robot, which is being funded by Innovate UK, Scottish Enterprise and private funders, has been designed to offer grain aggregators, like 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 even hazardous.
“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,” said Lorenzo Conti, Crover’s founder and MD.
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 analysis and 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 pioneering new £22.4 million research facility which officially opened its doors in September 2022. Informed by sectoral needs, the facility works collaboratively with partners around the globe to define, develop and resolve industry challenges through the application of robotics and AI. Crover will benefit from the National Robotarium’s incubation facilities, state-of-the-art labs and engineering expertise.
The National Robotarium is part of the Data-Driven Innovation initiative, supported by £21 million from the UK Government and £1.4 million from the Scottish Government. The initiative aims to turn Edinburgh into the data capital of Europe and is part of the wider £1.3 billion Edinburgh and South-East Scotland City Region Deal.
