Grain lab on a robot: Autonomous, miniaturised and high-precision in-situ measurement of advanced grain parameters

谷物是主食的基础，但在长期储存过程中，收获后的损失非常高，在英国和世界范围内超过20%。害虫是罪魁祸首，其中谷物含水率和温度是最重要的因素。农场、粮商、磨坊和酿酒厂等谷物仓储场所面临着这些挑战，这些挑战在收入损失和整改成本方面具有很高的成本影响。这项可行性研究的范围是开发一种新型的非接触式谷物分析传感器，基于一种新型的微型传感技术，能够检测半径长达几十厘米的特定分子化合物，并将其集成到不断改进的Crover机器人上，这是世界上第一架“地下无人机”。这是Crover自主谷物存储管理系统的核心。这将允许潜在的读数远远超出典型的谷物存储安全参数(湿度和温度，我们仍将提供)。在该项目中，我们将重点研究谷物储存和谷物质量的一些最显著的变量：蛋白质和真菌毒素。从长远来看，该项目的结果预计将允许我们能够测量的参数的扩展，包括特定的营养物质(氨基酸组成、脂肪酸组成和游离脂肪酸的存在和数量，以及-尤其与油籽相关)，或者昆虫的存在和物种鉴定(包括在鸡蛋和幼虫阶段)与不同客户的需求相一致。该项目的基本原理与可耕种部门(以及整个谷物价值链)对创新和替代作物保护解决方案的需求保持一致。以支持目前推动的全面害虫综合管理(IPM)方法。

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 scope of this feasibility study is to develop a novel non-contact sensor for non-contact grain analysis able to detect specific molecular compounds within a radius of up to a few tens of centimetres, based on a novel miniaturised sensing technology, and to integrate it onto the ever-improving CROVER robot, the world's first 'underground drone', which fluently 'swims' grain bulks and which is at the core of the CROVER autonomous Grain Storage Management system.This will allow for the potential readings that go far beyond the typical grain storage safety parameter (humidity and temperature, which we will still provide). During the project, we will focus on some of the most prominent variables of grain storage and grain quality: proteins and mycotoxins.Down the line, the result of this project is expected to allow for the expansion of the parameters that we will be able to measure, including specific nutrients (amino-acid composition, fatty acid composition and FFAs presence and quantity and - particularly relevant for oilseeds), or insect presence and species identification (including at eggs and larval stages) aligned with different customer requirements.The rationale for this project is aligned with the arable sector (and of the whole grain value chain) need for novel and alternative crop protection solutions, in support of the current push toward holistic Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approaches.