Automated Insect Harvesting Platform with Vacuum System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current insect cultivation methods using single-use cardboard boxes or large immobile troughs are costly, prone to pathogenic and fungal issues, and inefficient, leading to economic losses and wastage due to manual handling and susceptibility to damage.
Innovation Solution
An automated habitat and cultivation system with a harvesting platform that delivers feed and water and harvests insects using a vacuum system, mounted on walls or ceiling, which increases surface area, reduces human interaction, and incorporates sensors for efficient navigation and waste removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If single-use cardboard boxes are used for insect cultivation, then ease of operation is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to disposal costs and manual handling requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the cultivation space into multiple modular habitats arranged in arrays, allowing independent management and harvesting of different insect populations. Each habitat can be individually accessed by the robotic arm, enabling selective harvesting without disrupting other populations, thus improving overall productivity while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic harvesting system performs feeding, watering, and harvesting operations autonomously without human intervention. The system navigates independently among habitats, identifies insect locations using sensors, and executes harvesting tasks automatically, eliminating manual labor while maintaining high productivity.
2Productivity
If large immobile troughs made of wood or concrete are used, then productivity is improved through larger capacity, but reliability deteriorates due to pathogenic and fungal activity
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses disposable cardboard habitats instead of permanent wooden or concrete troughs. Each cardboard box serves as a single-use cultivation environment that is discarded after one harvesting cycle, eliminating the accumulation of pathogens and fungi that would otherwise contaminate reusable containers and compromise future insect populations.
Solution Approach 2:
The cardboard material creates an inert, non-nutritive environment for pathogens and fungi. Unlike wood or concrete that can harbor microbial growth, cardboard is treated with food-grade coatings and designed to be discarded after use, preventing the development of harmful microbial communities that would threaten insect health and productivity.
3Ease of operation
If manual handling and feeding is performed, then ease of operation is improved, but loss of substance increases due to insect damage or loss during interaction
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual mechanical handling with an automated robotic arm equipped with sensors and specialized end effectors. The robotic system uses computer vision and proximity sensors to locate and harvest insects gently, eliminating the rough handling that occurs during manual operations and reducing insect damage and loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic arm acts as an intermediary between human operators and the insect populations. It performs all direct interactions with insects through programmed motions and gentle grasping mechanisms, shielding the fragile insects from the unpredictable and potentially damaging human hands while maintaining operational efficiency.
4Productivity
If automated harvesting platform is implemented, then productivity is improved through increased surface area and automation, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic harvesting platform is designed as a multi-functional system that performs feeding, watering, monitoring, and harvesting operations with a single integrated device. The robotic arm can exchange different end effectors for various tasks, and the same navigation and sensing systems support all operations, reducing the need for multiple specialized devices and managing complexity through functional integration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enhances insect yields per volume, reduces pathogenic risks, and minimizes manual handling, resulting in improved economic efficiency and reduced wastage by automating the cultivation and harvesting process.
Implementation Method 1
a harvesting platform positioned above a floor of a room configured with a vacuum system to harvest the insects
Data Source
AI summary
A harvesting platform configured to navigate in a space over a room configured for the cultivation of insects. The harvesting platform may be equipped with a watering device and feed delivery device for supplying nutrients to the insect population being cultivated within the room. The harvesting platform may also be equipped with a harvesting device, such as a vacuum system, to harvest or remove the insects from the room when matured.