ADVANCED AUTONOMOUS BLACK SOLDIER FLY LARVAL UPCYCLING FOR AGRICULTURAL PROTEIN PRODUCTION & COMPOSTING VIA CELLULAR AUTOMATA MACHINE LEARNING

This project seeks to bolster the efficiency and viability of small farms by improving andautomating black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) composters. These composters are currently used bymany farms for their ability to turn farm waste biomass from plants and animals into a highlyprized feed for fowl and fish. However, inconveniently for small farms, larval feed must be usedwithin 1-5 days, or it will pupate into flies and be lost. For small farmers, current means of larvalpreservation are sorely misaligned with their needs. Huge investments in industrial BSFLpreservation machines, or the improvised use of appliances like ovens and freezers shared for homefood use are the only options. To solve the disconnect, the research proposed makes novel use ofmachine learning and recycles the thermal energy produced in the composting process to fullyautomate the preservation of the larval harvest onboard the composter -- without any inputs fromthe farmer necessary. This allows for the sustainable production of valuable feed, fully preservedand ready for use by the farmer on-demand.