Research centre set to slash sensor prices

Food manufacturers could benefit from an Innovation Centre launched by Manchester University and biotech firm Syngenta, which aims to develop cheap sensors for applications in the food supply chain.

Chemists, engineers and physicists will collaborate to develop low-cost technology - potentially lowering the individual sensor cost to less than four pence instead of the current price of between £5 and £24. The centre has already secured more than £500,000 of funding from the UK government’s Technology Strategy Board.

One of the centre’s first research projects aims to develop devices that allow retailers to set more meaningful best before dates by accurately predicting shelf-life in fruit and vegetables.

The new sensors, based on radio frequency identification tags, will record stress factors throughout the fresh produce supply chain process and wirelessly transmit these forward.

Researchers hope that by integrating this data with knowledge of produce, biology and farming practices the fresh produce supply chain may be better understood and wastage could be minimised.

Centre director Dr Bruce Grieve said: “The idea is simple but previously the need to have an internal power supply and means of storing and transmitting the data made the sensors too expensive and cumbersome to be viable.

“Our research aims to develop smaller simplified sensors that will operate rather like Oyster cards on the London Underground. They will use a battery-free method to store data and then receive pulses of energy from transmitters that will provide just enough power to transmit their data in return.”

Mike Bushell, head of the Syngenta research and development site in Berkshire said: “We are very excited at the possibilities offered through this new partnership. The science of sensors is progressing at a remarkable pace and we can see many applications that can help with our goals to promote sustainable agricultural systems. Bringing together the facilities and the multi-disciplinary skill sets available in the university with our global expertise in agriculture is a great starting point for innovation.”