They<\/span> might not have the most appetizing appearance, but looks can be deceiving: crickets are renowned for their subtle nutty flavor, crunchy texture, and exquisite astringency.<\/p>\n At least, that\u2019s what I\u2019ve been told. My religious beliefs sadly forbid me from indulging in the delicacy \u2014 but that doesn\u2019t mean you have to miss out. And thanks to AI, the chirpy critters could be arriving on your plate sooner than you think.<\/p>\n A team led by the Aspire Food Group plans to bring the creatures from farm to fork by building the world\u2019s first fully automated insect manufacturing site.<\/p>\n The crickets will then be turned into food products, including protein powder and bars.<\/span><\/p>\n [Read: How do you build a pet-friendly gadget? We asked experts and animal owners<\/a>]<\/em><\/p>\n The project is the first time that industrial automation, IoT, robotics, and AI will be deployed in climate-controlled, indoor vertical agriculture with living organisms.<\/p>\n Inside the facility, cricket production bins equipped with custom sensors will provide an overall picture of the plant\u2019s health at any time.<\/p>\n Deep learning developed by Canadian startup DarwinAI<\/a> will then analyze the data to unearth insights that can improve efficiencies.<\/p>\n This will create a feedback loop that allows plant conditions to be changed in real-time as conditions change.<\/p>\n DarwinAI CEO Sheldon Fernandez told TNW that the AI will analyze a range of data, including videos of the crickets to detect biological changes:<\/p>\n One example is fluctuating the environment based on input signals to maximize cricket yield. Operators can leverage the insights from our system to adjust critical variables, like humidity control.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/02\/Untitled-design-2021-02-19T144730.179.png\")
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