RipeSense: Cost effective sensor which can detect ethylene and indicate the ripeness levels of fruit during transportation and storage using Ai.

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There is serious urgency to tackle climate change globally, which can be improved by utilising technology for better resource management.According to the latest report from COP26, the world needs to halve emissions over the next decade and reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 to limit global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees. (2)Food waste is directly linked to climate change. According to 'WRAP' (Waste and Resources Action Program) -'30% of global greenhouse gases come from producing food, more than all commercial flights combined. If food waste were a country, it would have the third-biggest carbon footprint after the USA and China.'(3)Governments worldwide are pressuring businesses to improve. The UN's Sustainable Development Goal to 'ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns' aims to 'halve per capita global food waste at retail and consumer level and reduce food losses along production and supply chains by 2030.' (4) The problem exists within the supply-chain. The UN estimates 30-40% of food production is lost before it reaches the market. (5) The Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies states a significant contributor is fresh-produce, with 40%-50% lost or wasted (6) equating to an annual loss of 1.6bn tonnes of food worth $1.2tn. (8)To solve the problem technology must be adopted. To track products along the supply chain, assess quality at harvest-time, during transportation, detect freshness/quality without damaging produce; sensor technology is key. (5) Lack of ethylene detection can lead to a higher percentage of spoiled food, financial loss, less reliable supply chain and increased carbon footprint. Applying sensor technology to increase traceability could reduce food waste by between 5%-7%, (World Economic Forum. (7))A global market leader (Dole) in the banana industry is part of a group of businesses and governments tackling the problem; 'The Intelligent container project' (9) used sensors from market leaders 'Bosch'. However, this wasn't suitable to solve the problems addressed.Altered Carbon (AC) has developed a patented graphene sensor and AI-based technology to detect complex gases; "volatile organic compounds" (VOCs). This technology is portable, selective, and runs on almost zero power.This project will demonstrate how AC technology detects VOCs such as ethylene and therefore the chemical signatures of fresh produce ripening, predicting shelf-life. Our target of 0.16Mt(Megatonne) reduction is equivalent to removing 150,000 cars from the road. Less food waste means fewer trucks/shipping containers, meaning lower CO2 emissions.