by
Vaughn Entwistle, Managing Editor, Milling and Grain
In our August issue, Milling and Grain was one of the first magazines to announce the arrival of a new, disruptive technology to visualise the condition of grain in real time—while it was still inside a grain silo.
The technology employed an innovative new robotic device named Crover, which was able to ‘swim’ through solid granular media such as sand, grains and powders. The first version of the Crover robot is intended to help grain operators monitor the conditions of cereal grains in long-term storage, helping them maintain the quality of their stock and preventing spoilage of the grains, so that more food can reach our table.
How do they do this? Crover actually ‘swims’ through the grain column within a
silo. The robot is equipped with sensors that provide real-time data on the
temperature and moisture levels. In theory, it could be equipped with any
number of sensors; for example, equipping it with sensors for monitoring carbon
dioxide levels could also enable it to detect insect infestations.
A novel form of locomotion
When I first interviewed Lorenzo Conti, Crover's Founder and Managing Director, back in August, I was very curious about the design of the robot and wanted to see some photos so I could understand how its unique design allowed it to move through grain. However, at that early juncture, the company was reticent about circulating photos as certain key patents were still being applied for. Mr Conti explained to me how the design came about: "During my PhD at the University of Edinburgh, I discovered a novel physical law, which represents the first feasible method for locomotion in bulk solids, what I like to call the Crover effect!”
Victorious on the technological ‘battlefield’
The new Crover robot was first unveiled at this year’s TechCrunch Startup Battlefield, “the world’s preeminent start-up competition”. Known by fans of the HBO series ‘Silicon Valley’ and by tech enthusiasts globally, TechCrunch Startup Battlefield features 20 carefully selected startups from across the world, each presenting on the main stage of the TechCrunch Disrupt annual conference, which is celebrating this year its 10th anniversary.
Usually held in San Francisco, for the first time the event took place virtually for a global audience of hundreds of thousands of live viewers. Previous contestants include Dropbox, Fitbit, Trello, Yammer.
Read more HERE.
In our August issue, Milling and Grain was one of the first magazines to announce the arrival of a new, disruptive technology to visualise the condition of grain in real time—while it was still inside a grain silo.
The technology employed an innovative new robotic device named Crover, which was able to ‘swim’ through solid granular media such as sand, grains and powders. The first version of the Crover robot is intended to help grain operators monitor the conditions of cereal grains in long-term storage, helping them maintain the quality of their stock and preventing spoilage of the grains, so that more food can reach our table.
A novel form of locomotion
When I first interviewed Lorenzo Conti, Crover's Founder and Managing Director, back in August, I was very curious about the design of the robot and wanted to see some photos so I could understand how its unique design allowed it to move through grain. However, at that early juncture, the company was reticent about circulating photos as certain key patents were still being applied for. Mr Conti explained to me how the design came about: "During my PhD at the University of Edinburgh, I discovered a novel physical law, which represents the first feasible method for locomotion in bulk solids, what I like to call the Crover effect!”
Victorious on the technological ‘battlefield’
The new Crover robot was first unveiled at this year’s TechCrunch Startup Battlefield, “the world’s preeminent start-up competition”. Known by fans of the HBO series ‘Silicon Valley’ and by tech enthusiasts globally, TechCrunch Startup Battlefield features 20 carefully selected startups from across the world, each presenting on the main stage of the TechCrunch Disrupt annual conference, which is celebrating this year its 10th anniversary.
Usually held in San Francisco, for the first time the event took place virtually for a global audience of hundreds of thousands of live viewers. Previous contestants include Dropbox, Fitbit, Trello, Yammer.
Read more HERE.
The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.
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