Feasibility study of a Crover robot for the autonomous sampling of grain bulks

Cereal grains are the basis of staple food, yet post-harvest losses during long-term storage are exceptionally high, above 20% in the UK and worldwide. Pests are to blame, with grain moisture content and temperature being the most significant factors. Cereal storage sites such as farms, grain merchants, millers and breweries, experience these challenges, which have high cost implications in terms of lost revenue and cost to rectify.

The objective of this project, a partnership between Crover Ltd, Agri-EPI Centre and East of Scotland Farmers, is to create the first robotic device able to safely sample grain bulks at various depths and while still hidle in storage, where existing methods cannot. Unlike current grain solutions that can only reach near the surface pose a safety hazard to operators collecting the samples, Crover's remote probing device will be able to collect samples throughout the whole silo/shed. This gives early detection of potential spoilage allowing proactive management to reduce losses and maintain quality.