Crover is centred around the commercialisation of the first proprietary technology for locomotion in bulk solids (e.g. sand, grains, powders), through which the Crover team has developed the world’s first ‘granular drone’ (i.e. a CROVER), in the sense of a device able to move through bulk solids and powders.
While potential applications of the CROVER range from the minerals industry to chemicals powders (as well as space!), Crover’s first product is a system for the monitoring and management of cereal grains stored in bulk (e.g. whole barley, paddy rice in sheds and silos).
Interview with Lorenzo Conti, Founder & Managing Director of Crover.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Lorenzo Conti: Crover helps grain storage operators like grain merchants, cooperatives and port operators maintain the quality of the stock, by providing the world’s first robotics grain storage management solution.
V1.0 of the CROVER Grain Storage Management system provides:
- Accurate monitoring of granular bulks, by scanning the grain for temperature and moisture and pinpointing the location of hotspots and wetspots;
- Mixing of the grain as the CROVER robot moves through them, which helps aerate the grain and avoid the formation of crusts and other non-optimal packings;
- Improved health and safety, by keeping grain storage operators away from dangerous grain bulks.
E.E: What’s the news about new products?
L.C: We are soon launching V1.0 of the CROVER Grain Storage Management system.
Lorenzo Conti, Founder & Managing Director of Crover.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
L.C: Our primary product is the CROVER Grain Storage Management system, with more modules, features and products to be released in the coming months.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
L.C: The grain storage market has been looking for a solution able to address its inefficiencies for a long time, and we are happy to finally be able to solve the grain storage issue, which currently represents the main bottleneck in the grain supply chain.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
L.C: Driven by population increase, there is a constantly growing trend in the market: world cereal stocks by the close of seasons in 2022 are now estimated at an all-time high of 857M tonnes.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
L.C: The CROVER robot represents the first successful attempt in the world at getting a device to propel itself when fully buried in bulk solids and powders (a.k.a. granular materials). We used our proprietary technology to bring to grain storage operators the world’s first robotic grain storage management system.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2023?
L.C: We are very excited for 2023 and for the launch of V1.0 of the CROVER Grain Storage Management system.