INDUSTRY News
Researchers develop portable colour-changing food spoilage sensor
A team of researchers from Pusan National University in South Korea have developed a portable molecular sensor that quickly detects the presence of biogenic amines released from spoiled food, and indicating their presence by changing colour. Foods like fish, meat and cheese release organic
nitrogen compounds, known as biogenic amines (BAs) when they decompose. When ingested in large quantities, BAs cause serious health problems, which calls for finding solutions to detect them quickly – especially during food storage and distribution. “The rapid and easy monitoring of deleterious BAs
released from spoiled foods could alert us, prevent consumption of spoiled meat, maintain food quality and establish further effective food storage and distribution conditions in the logistic chain,” said Sungbaek Seo, Associate Professor of Biomaterials Science the Pusan National University. The University team then developed a poly- diacetylene-based sensor which offers rapid visual detection of BAs released from spoiled food. The colorimetric sensor combines polydiacetylene liposome and alginate solutions to form hydrogel. It is made of portable, lightweight beads that change colour from blue to red when in the presence of BAs, either in liquid or vapour form. The sensor does not require complex machinery, analytical equipment or skilled personnel. “The portable beads can be used on sites for monitoring whether the food quality is okay during storage and logistic chain. Further, the beads could be applied in evaluating whether ideal food storage and distribution conditions are well-preserved,” added Professor Seo.
ABB COLUMN
TACKLING THE HOUSING SHORTAGE WITH ROBOTS
The UK is in the grips of a housing shortage, making it harder than ever for people to buy a home. Despite ambitious annual targets set by the government, the UK has a backlog of 4.3 million homes missing from the national housing market that have yet to be built. According to the Centre for Cities, to fill this backlog would currently take at least 50 years. Another issue is not enough social homes are being built, with one
million households waiting for social homes, and last year only 29,000 social homes being built, according to England Shelter. Furthermore, the UK is experiencing a skilled labour shortage, which also affects housebuilding projects, leading to issues including project delays and rising costs as construction companies find themselves having to pay more for workers. Things need to change, and robotic automation offers the ideal solution for construction companies in creating, manufacturing and assembling components and structures.
Modular fabrication Off-site modular fabrication, where entire sections of buildings are made in factories and transferred to site for final assembly, has recently emerged as an increasingly viable construction approach. Modular pre-fabrication offers mass customised and standardised homes, with pre-fabricated elements combined to produce different shaped structures and buildings. Robots can be used to handle a variety of tasks, including assembly and lifting of heavy items, gluing, joining, screwing, sanding, finishing surfaces, fitting windows and doors, and many others.
3D printing
Robotic 3D printing is opening new opportunities for the design and manufacture of structures and components. Complex shapes can be made in parallel, reducing energy csonsumption. 3D printing gives manufacturers freedom and ability to use a wide range of building materials, providing a more environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional methods like cement mixes. As such, it offers several benefits, including reduced building time, minimal waste and material consumption and stronger structures, not to mention improved brand image through improved sustainability. To find out more about how ABB robots can help tackle the housing shortage and reshape the UK’s construction industry, visit
https://new.abb. com/products/robotics/industries/transforming-the-future-of- construction
Nigel Platt, LBL Manager, UK and Ireland, ABB Robotics
automationmagazine.co.uk
Automation | June 2023
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