Crover introduces a revolutionary approach to grain storage management, addressing long-standing challenges in preserving grain quality and preventing spoilage. Traditional methods often involve static sensors with limited reach or dangerous manual inspections, leaving vast quantities of grain vulnerable to undetected issues. This cutting-edge agricultural technology leverages advanced robotics to provide unparalleled insights into the conditions within grain silos and other storage facilities.
By moving directly through dense granular materials, the Crover monitor collects critical data that static sensors simply cannot reach, offering a dynamic and comprehensive understanding of the grain's health. It aims to minimize food waste and maximize the amount of grain surviving until the end of the supply chain, tackling a serious problem often overlooked in the agri-food system. This innovation not only safeguards grain quality but also significantly enhances operational safety and efficiency for farmers, agri-cooperatives, and storage operators worldwide.
Key Features
The Crover system's core innovation lies in its proprietary 'Grain-Swimming' Locomotion, a patented technology that enables omni-directional movement on and beneath the surface of granular materials. This unique capability allows the robot, often referred to as a 'subterranean drone,' to delve up to 1.5 meters deep into grain bulks, accessing previously unattainable data points that static sensors cannot reach. This breakthrough in granular robotics provides an unprecedented level of insight into the hidden conditions within stored grain.
Equipped with advanced Multi-Sensor Data Collection, the Crover robot provides real-time monitoring of critical parameters including temperature, moisture, and CO2 levels. This high-resolution data is then used to generate comprehensive 3D Condition Maps, offering a visual representation of the internal distribution of these factors. This allows operators to precisely identify potential spoilage hotspots, wet spots, or areas conducive to pest infestations before they escalate into significant losses.
Beyond passive monitoring, the Crover system offers Active Grain Management Capabilities. Its movement through the grain provides minimal in-situ stirring, which helps to break and prevent crust formation, improve aeration, and prevent bridging and ratholing. Furthermore, specific models are capable of collecting representative grain samples at depth, crucial for traceability and detailed laboratory analysis, ensuring superior grain quality is maintained.
Operational safety is significantly Enhanced by Crover, as it eliminates the need for manual grain inspections. This drastically reduces the severe health and safety risks associated with personnel entering dangerous grain bulks, such as engulfment, thereby improving overall safety compliance in storage facilities. For remote agricultural areas, the system offers robust Wireless & Satellite Connectivity, featuring a low-cost, low-altitude satellite data transfer system that ensures reliable operation even with limited traditional network access.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Movement Technology | Patented 'Grain-Swimming' (Subterranean Drone) |
| Depth Capability | Up to 1.5 meters below surface |
| Sensors | Temperature, Moisture, CO2 (more coming soon) |
| Data Output | Real-time 3D maps via intuitive web app |
| Connectivity | Wireless, Low-altitude Satellite Data Transfer System |
| Active Management | In-situ Grain Stirring/Mixing, Representative Grain Sampling |
| Product Models | CROVERMini, CROVERBasic, CROVERPro |
| Target Materials | Cereal grains, Oilseeds, Protein crops, Pellets, other granular bulk solids and powders |
Use Cases & Applications
Preventing Spoilage and Hotspots: Crover continuously monitors internal grain conditions, providing early detection of potential spoilage, hotspots, and wet spots. This allows operators to take proactive measures like targeted aeration, preventing mass and quality losses that can be substantial.
Optimizing Aeration and Energy Consumption: By providing precise, real-time 3D maps of temperature and moisture, Crover enables farmers to optimize their aeration schedules. This targeted approach reduces unnecessary energy consumption associated with cooling and drying, leading to significant operational cost savings.
Enhancing Worker Safety: One of the most critical applications is improving health and safety. The robot eliminates the need for human personnel to physically enter or walk on dangerous grain bulks, thereby reducing the severe risk of engulfment and ensuring compliance with safety regulations.
Improving Grain Quality and Traceability: Crover's ability to collect representative grain samples at depth, combined with its high-resolution 3D quality maps, aids in maintaining superior grain quality. This data also supports robust traceability systems, which are increasingly important for market assurance and regulatory compliance.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM): The early detection of conditions favorable for pest development, such as elevated temperature or moisture, and specific models' capabilities for early pest presence detection, enables more accurate and timely Integrated Pest Management strategies, reducing the reliance on broad-spectrum treatments.
Strengths & Weaknesses
| Strengths ✅ | Weaknesses ⚠️ |
|---|---|
| Unique 'Grain-Swimming' Technology: Offers unparalleled access to deep, previously inaccessible areas within grain bulks, collecting comprehensive data beyond surface-level monitoring. | Current Depth Limitation: While innovative, the robot's specified depth capability is up to 1.5 meters, which may not reach the absolute deepest parts of very large or exceptionally tall silos. |
| Comprehensive Real-time 3D Mapping: Generates high-resolution, three-dimensional maps of temperature, moisture, and CO2, enabling precise identification of problem areas. | Initial Capital Investment: As a cutting-edge robotic solution, the upfront cost may represent a significant investment for some farming operations, though long-term ROI is expected. |
| Enhanced Operational Safety: Drastically reduces human risk by eliminating the need for manual inspections, improving health and safety compliance. | Dependency on Power Infrastructure: Requires power for operation and charging, necessitating consideration of power access within storage facilities. |
| Active Grain Management Capabilities: Beyond monitoring, it can stir grain to prevent crusts and collect samples, adding active management value. | Specific to Granular Materials: Its specialized locomotion is tailored for granular bulk solids, limiting its direct application to other forms of agricultural produce or environments. |
| Remote Operation & Satellite Connectivity: Ensures reliable data transfer and control, making it viable for remote agricultural areas with limited traditional internet access. | |
| Versatile Target Material Compatibility: Effective for a wide range of cereal grains, oilseeds, protein crops, pellets, and other granular bulk solids. |
Benefits for Farmers
Farmers utilizing the Crover robotic grain monitor stand to gain significant business value across several fronts. Firstly, the system drastically reduces post-harvest losses by enabling early detection and prevention of spoilage, moisture hotspots, and pest infestations, thereby preserving the quality and quantity of stored grain. This directly translates to increased revenue and improved margins, as premium grain quality can be maintained.
Secondly, Crover optimizes operational efficiency and reduces costs. By providing precise data for aeration management, it helps lower energy consumption. It also automates monitoring tasks, saving considerable time and labor that would otherwise be spent on hazardous manual inspections. Thirdly, it significantly enhances farm safety by removing personnel from dangerous grain storage environments, reducing the risk of accidents and improving compliance with safety regulations. Finally, the high-resolution data and sampling capabilities support proactive decision-making, enabling farmers to maintain better control over their stored assets and ensuring superior grain quality for market demands.
Integration & Compatibility
The Crover robotic grain storage monitor is engineered for high integration flexibility, allowing it to seamlessly fit into diverse farm operations. It can either integrate with existing grain monitoring and management systems, feeding its rich data into established digital platforms, or serve as a complete standalone solution. This adaptability makes it suitable for a wide range of storage facilities, including older structures that may not have advanced infrastructure. The system's data output is delivered to an intuitive web app, providing real-time insights that can be accessed remotely, further streamlining grain management workflows.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How does this product work? | The Crover robot utilizes patented 'grain-swimming' technology, allowing it to move omni-directionally through dense granular materials. It collects real-time data on temperature, moisture, and CO2 levels using onboard sensors, which is then used to generate comprehensive 3D maps of the grain's internal conditions. |
| What is the typical ROI? | The Crover system helps reduce significant post-harvest losses due to spoilage, pests, and mold, which can exceed 20% in some cases. By preventing quality degradation, optimizing aeration, reducing energy consumption, and eliminating costly manual inspections, it leads to substantial financial returns and improved grain value. |
| What setup/installation is required? | The Crover is designed as a portable robotic system for ease of deployment. It can be integrated seamlessly into existing grain monitoring systems or function as a complete standalone solution, adaptable to various storage structures without complex installation. |
| What maintenance is needed? | While specific maintenance schedules are product-dependent, typical requirements would include routine cleaning of sensors, physical inspection of the robot for wear, and ensuring software updates are applied. The system is designed for robust operation in challenging environments. |
| Is training required to use this? | The system features an intuitive web app for data visualization and management. Basic operational training is recommended for proper deployment, data interpretation, and utilizing its active management capabilities, but it is designed for user-friendliness to streamline grain management. |
| What systems does it integrate with? | The Crover is built for integration flexibility, capable of feeding data into existing digital systems or functioning as a complete standalone replacement. This adaptability allows it to be used even in older storage structures that may lack modern infrastructure. |
| How does it improve safety? | By eliminating the need for human operators to physically enter or walk on grain bulks for inspections, Crover drastically reduces severe health and safety risks, such as engulfment. This significantly enhances safety compliance in grain storage facilities. |
| What types of grain can it monitor? | The Crover robot is designed to monitor a wide range of granular materials, including cereal grains (e.g., wheat, barley, paddy rice, oats), oilseeds (e.g., rapeseed, soybeans), protein crops, pellets (e.g., livestock and fish feed), and other bulk solids and powders. |
Pricing & Availability
Price information for the Crover robotic grain storage monitor is not publicly available, as it typically depends on the specific product model (CROVERMini, CROVERBasic, CROVERPro), desired configuration, and scale of operation. For detailed pricing and availability tailored to your specific needs, please contact us via the Make inquiry button on this page.
Support & Training
Crover is committed to supporting its users through comprehensive documentation, an intuitive web application, and ongoing software updates. While specific details on training programs are not publicly available, the system is designed for ease of use. Users can expect guidance on deployment, operation, and data interpretation to maximize the benefits of the robotic monitor in their grain storage management.
