How A Robot Could Keep Farmers Out Of Grain Bins

A few times a year, farmers have to do a dangerous task; go inside large grain bins to take care of their harvest. Last year, more than 30 of them were trapped inside silos in the U.S., according to Purdue University. Two recent grads from the University of Nebraska at Omaha have invented a grain robot that could help farmers improve their crops and never have to go inside a grain bin again.

When a grain bin is almost empty, farmers strap on a harness and climb inside the metal silo that could be as big as a football field. The only light coming in is from the small hatch at the top. It's dark, dusty, and loud. Farmers are shin-deep in grain while sweeping and shoveling crops into a spinning auger.

“I kind of compare it to shoveling deep snow off of your sidewalk, but you're also racing somebody, and it's also over 100 degrees and dusty and dirty,” Zach Hunnicutt said. “It's pretty hard work.”