Grain Inspection Probe

Abstract

Stored grain can deteriorate when moisture and temperature conditions encourage fungal growth, insect activity, or other biological processes. Manual inspection generally provides limited information about conditions deep within a grain mass, while fixed sensors monitor only their installed locations. This paper presents the design of a low-cost Grain Inspection Probe intended to reach into stored grain using a helical screw and to collect temperature, relative humidity, grain-moisture, and gas-response measurements. The proposed system uses a PVC probe body, an ESP32 controller, a battery supply, and Wi-Fi communication to present readings on a mobile dashboard. The concept and component selection are complete at the design stage; the prototype has not yet been fabricated or tested. Accordingly, this paper describes the system architecture, design choices, estimated cost, and validation plan rather than claiming measured performance. Calibration, mechanical penetration, wireless-range, and battery-runtime experiments are identified as necessary next steps.