Identifying risks in graped and wine.

Researchers have demonstrated the ability to identify the complex chemical signatures emitted from grapes and wine to predict quality risks in wine production faster and more affordably than conventional methods.

Moët Hennessy, the wine and spirits division of LVMH, Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI), a global semiconductor leader, and University of California, Davis, a world-renowned leading research university, has announced a groundbreaking joint effort to deploy a new generation of technology aimed at enhancing wine quality and supporting the long-term vitality of vineyards.

The collaboration builds on a breakthrough technology that has its roots in early research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Today, ADI continues to advance this technology platform for analysing chemical signatures across a broad range of applications and, together with teams from Moët Hennessy and UC Davis, is exploring its use in viticulture and winemaking. The joint effort aims to detect and interpret volatile chemical signatures emitted by grapevines, juice, and wine, giving viticulture and winemaking teams much earlier insights into biological processes and potential quality risks.

A world first demonstration: predicting Fresh Mushroom Aroma before it develops The collaboration’s first major achievement addresses one of the wine industry’s most complex quality challenges: Fresh Mushroom Aroma (FMA). Researchers at Moët Hennessy’s Robert-Jean de Vogüé Research Center have built a unique library of samples and associated data to train machine learning algorithms to recognise the chemical signatures associated with this quality risk.

For the first time, the technology successfully identified samples presenting an elevated risk of developing FMA at an early stage, well before the defect would traditionally be detected. This breakthrough creates entirely new possibilities for proactive quality management, enabling earlier interventions and fundamentally changing how quality risks may be monitored throughout the winemaking process.

Powered by ADI's sensing and machine learning platform, the system analyses a broad spectrum of chemical information and uses Ai to identify which signals matter most, revealing patterns that may otherwise go undetected. Rather than looking only for predefined conditions, the platform continuously learns from complex chemical data, enabling a deeper understanding of biological activity and emerging quality risks.

A technology platform with multiple future applications.
Beyond FMA, the organisations view this technology as a scalable platform for living systems analysis, with potential applications wherever biological processes generate meaningful chemical signatures that can be measured, interpreted and acted upon. Additional applications being researched include early detection of vine diseases, soil assessment, and identification of other defects, especially those linked to climate change and related events (e.g., wildfires).

The goal is to support, not replace, human expertise by equipping researchers, viticulturists, and winemakers with decision-support tools for earlier detection and deeper insights. The technology is designed to augment the expertise of growers and winemakers, providing additional information and context while preserving the craftsmanship, experience, and judgment that remain central to exceptional winemaking.

An international collaboration uniting technology, Ai and life sciences.
The effort combines complementary expertise from:

• Moët Hennessy, the world leader in premium and super-premium wines and spirits
• ADI, a global semiconductor leader that bridges the physical and digital worlds to enable breakthroughs at the Intelligent Edge; ADI Health Solutions, ADI’s business unit focused on developing Ai-driven solutions that contribute to the health of people and the planet
• UC Davis, internationally recognised as a global leader in viticulture and enology

Together, the organisations aim to unlock new capabilities for observing, understanding and interpreting the complex grape and wine matrix in support of quality and resilience across the wine industry. Beyond this initial collaboration, ADI intends to make this technology broadly available for future industrial applications, while Moët Hennessy and UC Davis are exploring how shared reference libraries could benefit the wider grape and wine industry.

Manuel Reman, member of the Moët Hennessy Executive Committee, overseeing R&D, and Member of the Comité Champagne: "This breakthrough marks the beginning of a new chapter for viticulture and winemaking. We can rapidly detect and interpret the chemical language of grapes and wine to anticipate quality risks before they become visible. Beyond a technological achievement, this opens an entirely new way of understanding and working, one that will help us produce exceptional wines while building greater resilience for the future."

Max Shulaker, Chief of ADI's Health Solutions Business Unit: "This collaboration unites world-class expertise in cutting-edge Ai-enabled sensing systems and viticulture to accomplish something previously impossible: reading the chemical language that living systems emit themselves. By recognising these signatures before conventional methods can, this technology can help winemakers shift from reacting to quality risks to anticipating them. Our first breakthrough addresses Fresh Mushroom Aroma, but it marks the beginning of a much broader platform for understanding living systems, one that can improve quality and resilience in ways that are just now being explored and unlocked."

Ben Montpetit, Ph.D, UC Davis: "In the face of major global challenges, the continued advancement and resilience of the grape and wine sectors will depend on two things: better knowledge and people equipped to put that knowledge into practice. What is especially powerful about this collaboration is that we are advancing both. We are developing technology that can give viticulturists and winemakers the right information at the right time to make informed decisions, while also training the next generation of experts who will know how to interpret and act on those insights."

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@ADI_News  @LVMH @ucdavis #Pauto #Food_Drink

AI's biggest roadblock.

Though not strictly speaking in the area of control and automation artificial intelligence is becoming more and more a part of all sectors and indeed into our lives. Here BetterAI's Angel Vossough* delves into the heart of AI's biggest roadblock.

In today's rapidly evolving landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) holds immense promise for revolutionizing industries across the board. However, despite its potential, AI implementation often encounters significant roadblocks that hinder progress and innovation.  

In an era where machines can outplay humans in chess and take the wheel, their struggle to grasp human empathy shines a light on what sets the human mind apart – our complex emotions and thought processes are what truly make us unique. As a data scientist, Co-Founder and CEO of an AI startup, and a woman, my journey through the evolving landscape of AI is deeply intertwined with a commitment to leveraging technology for societal good and peace. Here's my perspective on the future direction of AI and empathy.

The Paradox of Progress.
The irony of AI's rapid advancement is that the closer we get to replicating human intelligence, the more apparent it becomes that the subtleties of human empathy are AI's greatest hurdle. This paradox highlights the complexity of what it means to be human and the depth of our emotional intelligence.

What makes this roadblock so challenging? The complexity of empathy. 

What makes empathy particularly challenging for AI is its multi-dimensional nature. Empathy isn't just about recognizing emotions; it's about feeling with people. For AI to truly embody empathy, it must go beyond algorithms and data; it must connect, understand, and respond to human emotions in a way that feels authentic and meaningful.

A Collaborative Path to Resolution.
Overcoming the empathy roadblock in AI requires a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach. By integrating insights from psychology, cognitive science, ethics, and AI research, we can develop systems that better recognize and simulate human emotions. This involves not only technical advancements but also a commitment to understanding the ethical implications of empathic AI.

Relative to a resolution timeline, it’s wise to bear in mind that it’s a journey, not a sprint. Predicting the timeline for achieving empathic AI is challenging. It's a journey marked by incremental advancements and ethical considerations. We're navigating uncharted territory, where each breakthrough brings us closer to understanding the essence of human empathy. This journey might span decades, reflecting the depth of the challenge and the commitment needed to address it.

As we navigate further down this path, the focus must remain on the positive impact of AI on society. The goal is not just to create machines that imitate human empathy but to enhance our collective ability to understand and care for one another.

As an advocate for empathic AI, I envision a future where technology amplifies our capacity for empathy, bridging divides, and fostering peace. Our responsibility is to guide this development thoughtfully, ensuring AI serves as a force for good, enhancing human connections in a world that greatly needs them.

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* Angel Vossough is CEO and Co-Founder of BetterAI, creators of innovative AI solutions like “BetterMed” and “VinoVoss” —a virtual wine sommelier. A serial entrepreneur with a deep tech background, she holds dual Bachelors’ in Mathematics and Computer Engineering and a Master's with honors in Software Engineering and Data Science from UC Berkeley (CA USA).

#BetterAI #AI

Wine, Spirits in paper bottles!

A collaboration between Festo and PCE Automation has helped recyclable packaging experts Frugalpac Limited to achieve the high throughputs and precision assembly necessary to meet increased demand for its innovative paperboard Frugal Bottle.

Frugal Bottle is the world’s first paper wine and spirits bottle. Its innovative design comprises an outer made from 94% recycled paperboard with an inner food grade pouch. The bottle is fully recyclable, is five times lighter than glass and has a much lower carbon footprint than traditional wine bottles. It also offers 360-degree branding for better impact on the shelf.

Frugal Bottles are manufactured from two paperboard blanks that are precision cut, glued and then wetted front and back, before being stacked ready for feeding into the bottle forming machine. Achieving the desired throughputs is a major challenge because the glue pathway is complex and must be tailored to the profile of the bottle. In addition, the correct amount of glue has to be applied to prevent malformation or unsightly glue excess on the finished bottle.

They had approached an adhesive systems company for a solution, but they were unable to achieve the desired cycle times. Working closely together, PCE Automation and Festo developed a fully automated gluing and wetting line to meet the tight tolerances and complex gluing patterns necessary to deliver throughputs of 630 bottles per hour.

Ronan Quinn, project manager for PCE, says: “The gluing process was more complex than anything we’d encountered before. Tight tolerances on the gluing pattern combined with a short cycle time and critical bead thicknesses were a real challenge. We would usually undertake the entire design and assembly inhouse, but on this occasion Festo supplied the handling gantries to us fully assembled which added real value in terms of component compatibility and commissioning.”

The automation cell provided by PCE Automation requires minimal human intervention. An operator loads the blanks for the front and back of the bottles at the front end. The machine then picks, loads, transfers, glues, transfers again, wets and conveys the prepared blanks into a container at the end of process. The prepared blanks are then transferred to the bottle forming machine.

PCE Automation used the Festo Handling Guide Online (HGO) to design the automation cell. This free online tool dramatically reduces design, assembly and delivery time and enables customers to create a ready-to-install handling system: whether for a single-axis system, a 2D linear and planar surface gantry or a 3D gantry. With just a few clicks, the HGO delivers the right standard handling system, including CAD model, animation, and complete EPLAN schematic documentation. The individual steps (including RFQ, layout, quotation and CAD design), which previously could take 10 to 15 days, can be completed in a matter of minutes. The reduction in design and documentation time enabled PCE to meet Frugalpac’s delivery expectations.

The unique gluing and wetting solution was tested and sized at Festo’s British Application Centre to prove that the desired cycle times could be achieved. It uses the Festo CPX-E-CEC Controller as the PLC to deliver interpolated soft motion, controlling multiple axes at the same time to achieve the complex curves on the glue paths. Festo CMMT servo controllers feature in the three handling systems for precise and repeatable loading, gluing and unloading. Festo core pneumatics products, valve terminals and process valves are also used extensively throughout the gluing and wetting system.

Bottling success
The PCE automation cell needed to achieve a cycle time of just 19 seconds to meet Frugalpac’s requirements. The gluing and wetting solution delivers a gluing time that is 50% faster than specified, enabling the entire machine to meet the overall cycle times required. It achieves this by batch-gluing eight bottles simultaneously, with different glue patterns being applied to the front and back blanks.

John-Paul Grogan, Product Director at Frugalpac, says: “Frugalpac is committed to the development of more sustainable packaging. The application of automation in the production of Frugal Bottle will help us to achieve our aim of reducing the carbon of wine and spirits packaging.”

Festo and PCE are now working with Frugalpac to develop an automated method for the forming of the Frugal Bottle itself.

@festo_global @FestoIE_NIE @frugalpac #PCEAutomation #PAuto #Food_Drink

Safe production of that glass of red?

Although, at first sight, winemaking might appear to be one of the most idyllic of occupations, it is an industry with its own serious safety concerns. The fermentation process that produces the highly desirable end product, whether it be a serious earthy, rich, Cabernet Sauvignon or a sweet, slightly decadent, Moscato, also produces a lot of carbon dioxide. In the realm of 40 times the volume of grape juice in fact. That is a lot of carbon dioxide and the health implications of that amount of fatal gas cannot be ignored.

Dizziness, headaches, shortness of breath and increased heart rate are just some of the symptoms of raised workplace CO2 levels. Asphyxia, convulsions, and coma are the more serious possibilities, plus of course other accidents related to over exposure can occur – even drowning. This is why accurate and rapid monitoring of CO2 is so important throughout a winery, acknowledging both how localised areas of high gas concentration can build up and the way that the gas diffuses. Workers with jobs that involve them operating over open fermentation vessels may be particularly at risk thanks to CO2 gas build up and Oxygen exclusion, but less obvious risks occur such as a night time build up of gas because of decreased ventilation through door openings.

Exposure limits for carbon dioxide in the State of Washington (USA) are 30,000 ppm as a short-term exposure limit averaged over any 15-minute work period and 5000 ppm as averaged over an eight-hour work shift. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health indicates 40,000 ppm (4%) as being immediately dangerous to life and health.

The Louis M. Martini Winery located in St. Helena, (CA USA) is one of the original five Napa Valley wineries founded in 1933 after Prohibition was repealed. They produce many of the wines that have made the California vineyards so famous. As such the Louis M. Martini Winery is a very popular stop on the Napa Valley wine tasting circuit. The need to ensure the safety of visitors, and, of course, their own employees, has ensured that the Louis M. Martini Winery has taken CO2 monitoring very seriously. This is why the Louis M. Martini Winery has invested in Edinburgh Sensor’s Guardian gas monitors. They have supplied six Guardian CO2 monitoring units, initially the Guardian Plus units, followed in 2011 by Guardian NG infrared gas monitors units in the winery barrel rooms and other particularly important places where CO2 levels are the most critical.

The Guardian NG monitors provide near-analyser quality with continuous CO2 sampling, measurement and display of target gas concentrations for detection level ranges of between 0 – 3000 ppm and 0 – 100% by volume. The Guardian NG wall-mounted monitors are easy to install and can detect gases from sampling points up to 30 metres away. The robust plastic IP54 rated enclosures prevent the ingress of water and particulates in this busy working environment. Graphical display of historic readings is possible for any period the winery may be interested in and data is easily transferred via an on board RS232 interface with optional Ethernet interface with relay outputs for control of external devices.

These particular units have been in continuous operation since installation and are linked to a comprehensive alarm and door closing system to alert staff and management if CO2 levels should ever reach levels of concern.

@Edinst #PAuto #Safety

Motors & Drives upgrade Champagne production!

We have had a number of wine applications of late and here is just one more from the Champagne region of France. Nicolas Feuillatte, the globally recognised champagne producer, has chosen Emerson to deliver improvements to its bottling line.

The Centre Vinicole - Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte (CV-CNF) is the leading Champagne producers’ union. It comprises 80 cooperatives and represents over 5,000 wine-growers. Its facility in Chouilly, in the Marne region of France, is one of the most automated plants of its type, with a workforce of 235 people, half of whom are involved in production. The company output reaches 23 million bottles a year, making it one of the world’s leading champagne producers.

Frédéric Lopez, automation manager CV-CNF, said: “We needed to replace a series of drive systems, in a gradual process. We considered using the original supplier of the equipment, as well other leading firms in this sector. They were all able to supply equipment that would have met our expectations, but we also wanted to establish a partnership with a company able to deliver the level of service we needed. This is why we selected Emerson.”

The first step was to replace one conveyor drive system. It sits at the start of the line, to position the empty bottles with extreme accuracy before cleaning and filling. The bottles are loaded onto the conveyor from 1,200 x 1,200 pallets, and then lifted in rows of four to 12 (depending on their size) onto a perpendicular conveyor.

“This line runs at a rate of 4,000 to 6,000 bottles an hour and has to offer maximum availability in operation. Emerson designed the most appropriate solution for us as well as to program the variable-speed drives,” said Frédéric Lopez.

The existing drive system consisted of an automatic controller, an alignment controller, a variable speed drive and a motor. The solution from Emerson removes the need for the alignment controller, reducing the overall complexity of the system. It consists of a Control Techniques Unidrive M700 variable speed drive, connected to the automatic controller and combined with a Leroy-Somer DYNABLOC Pjn1102 low backlash servo-gear. This offers high overload tolerance, very high torsion strength and great accuracy.

Emerson’s MCi200 machine control option module has been added to Unidrive M to manage positioning. The Unidrive M700 drive is especially suited to this type of application, with a cycle time of 250µs, synchronised communications through real-time Ethernet and an integrated PLC for controlling movement sequences.

The entire application is simple to program using Engineering Control Studio. The system uses Unidrive M’s embedded Advanced Motion Controller. In the final configuration, 15 different configurations have been defined to suit the various bottle shapes. Each cycle has a coarse pitch with a specific movement profile (position, speed, acceleration and deceleration), a fine pitch with a second movement profile (position, speed, acceleration and deceleration) and the number of short pitches to be carried out.

The required configuration is selected using logic inputs, which automatically starts the chosen cycle. The coarse pitch is performed then the fine pitches are chained together while the path is free. Signals for ‘end of long movement’ and ‘cycle completed’ are sent by the drive’s logic outputs to the client system. All programming and training was carried out on site by Emerson’s support teams.

“We have taken over the application completely so that we can make our own adaptations. With its technologies, expertise, and service, Emerson has fully met our expectations and we are in the process of deploying their solutions across our entire site”, added Frédéric Lopez.

Cheers! Sparkling flow!

Over recent years wine has become increasingly popular in Britain and it seems fair to say that its image has changed significantly over this time. It has largely lost its elitist image and has emerged as an alcoholic beverage that is enjoyed by a large number of the population. A trip to the local supermarket or high street retailer will present the shopper with a wide choice of wines from all over the world, but do we really need to look so far afield to enjoy a glass of wine? It comes as a surprise to many, but award winning wine is produced in Britain.

A great alternative to
Rosé  Prosecco,
but really very English.

Based in Tenterden in Kent (GB), the award winning Chapel Down winery produces truly world-class Traditional Method sparkling wines and a range of still wines, as well as premium beer and cider. They boast some of the best winemaking facilities in England and were recently looking for a portable measurement device that could provide accurate measurement and volume monitoring of juice and wine during transfer operations.

After careful consideration, they decided to have a portable device manufactured that incorporated Krohne's OPTIFLUX 2100 electromagnetic flowmeter. The device consists of an OPTIFLUX 2100 attached to an inlet and outlet pipe and mounted on wheels. The device can then be easily moved around the winery to perform accurate measurement wherever it is required. The inlet pipe is attached to a tank and the medium is then pumped through it at a flowrate of 5-10,000 l/hr. It passes through the electromagnetic flowmeter and then via the outlet pipe into another vessel. The OPTIFLUX 2100 accurately measures the volume of the medium and once the desired quantity has been reached the pump is switched off.

Previously Chapel Down used sight glasses running down the side of the tank, which was labour intensive. By automating the process using KROHNE’s OPTIFLUX 2100 they now have consistently accurate measurement and instead of two people being required to carry out the transfer operation, the process can be carried out by one person alone.

Josh Donaghay-Spire, winemaker at Chapel Down comments, “We were keen to automate the transfer process, however we needed a flowmeter that could cope with dissolved CO2 as this makes the more traditional flowmeters ineffective.” He continues, "we were aware that KROHNE had previous experience with a similar application and that their OPTIFLUX 2100 could easily cope with the process conditions whilst providing accurate and reliable measurement. We can now not only make more efficient use of manpower but we can also calibrate certain tanks which previously didn’t have calibration charts.”

Portable measuring device incorporating the OPTIFLUX 2100

• Krohne products are marketed in Ireland by DWN Instrumentation.

Weighing Cabernet-Sauvignon and Merlot

The Château Gruaud-Larose wine-growing estate in the northwestern Bordeaux region uses Siemens weighing technology to harvest its crop, to optimise the grape gathering process and to ensure precise crop weighing. The vines have to be handled with extreme care directly following the harvest, and the process of unloading the grapes from the trailer to the incoming scales must be performed without wastage.

To ensure that the yield from the 80 hec - tares of predominantly Cabernet- Sauvignon and Merlot vines is fully traceable and the quality of the wine assured, the harvest gathered in from each parcel of land must be weighed separately.

Because absolute precision is paramount, estate management decided to install the Sitrans WW200 weighfeeder from Siemens. As this weighing system is designed to allow wide-ranging customization, it was a simple matter to adjust it to the specific needs of the vineyard in terms of its belt length and type, infeed configuration and drive technology. At the same time, this solution guarantees high-precision weight recording and fulfills stringent hygiene requirements. A Milltronics BW500 integrator and a Micromaster MM420 frequency inverter are also used to determine all the important weighing values.