A piled grain surface management robot comprises an auger-based drive system, a memory, and a processor coupled with the memory. The processor is configured to control movement of the robot via the auger-based drive system. The processor is also configured to direct a traversal of a surface of piled grain in a bulk store, wherein a crust layer of the surface is broken up by auger rotation of the auger-based drive system during the traversal.

A piled grain surface management robot comprises an auger-based drive system, a memory, and a processor coupled with the memory. The processor is configured to control movement of the robot via the auger-based drive system. The processor is also configured to direct a traversal of a surface of piled grain in a bulk store, wherein a crust layer of the surface is broken up by auger rotation of the auger-based drive system during the traversal.

A piled grain surface management robot comprises an auger-based drive system, a memory, and a processor coupled with the memory. The processor is configured to control movement of the robot via the auger-based drive system. The processor is also configured to direct a traversal of a surface of piled grain in a bulk store, wherein a crust layer of the surface is broken up by auger rotation of the auger-based drive system during the traversal.

A piled grain surface management robot comprises an auger-based drive system, a memory, and a processor coupled with the memory. The processor is configured to control movement of the robot via the auger-based drive system. The processor is also configured to direct a traversal of a surface of piled grain in a bulk store, wherein a crust layer of the surface is broken up by auger rotation of the auger-based drive system during the traversal.

A hopper having a passage through which a medicine can be passed downward is provided. A part of a lower portion of the hopper is a deformable portion having flexibility, and the deformable portion is deformable so as to open and close the passage. According to this configuration, the deformable portion that is a part of the hopper is deformed to open and close the passage. Thus, there is no portion such as an opening and closing plate on which the medicine remains, thereby preventing a gap in which the medicine remains from being formed in the hopper, and preventing the medicine from easily remaining in the hopper.

A doser apparatus includes a throttle device on a doser mechanism. The throttle device includes a vibratory hopper and a vibration device. The vibratory hopper is configured to hold a granular material within a vibratory hopper conduit that tapers towards a bottom opening and is configured to induce bridging of the granular material at the bottom opening. The vibration device is configured to break the bridging of the granular material at the bottom opening to induce flow of the granular material through the bottom opening to a doser reservoir of the doser mechanism, based on inducing vibration of the vibratory hopper. The throttle device is configured to control a head pressure of the granular material at a portion of a conveyor device of the doser mechanism extending into the doser reservoir based on operating the vibration device to adjustably control the flow of granular material through the bottom opening.

A doser apparatus includes a throttle device on a doser mechanism. The throttle device includes a vibratory hopper and a vibration device. The vibratory hopper is configured to hold a granular material within a vibratory hopper conduit that tapers towards a bottom opening and is configured to induce bridging of the granular material at the bottom opening. The vibration device is configured to break the bridging of the granular material at the bottom opening to induce flow of the granular material through the bottom opening to a doser reservoir of the doser mechanism, based on inducing vibration of the vibratory hopper. The throttle device is configured to control a head pressure of the granular material at a portion of a conveyor device of the doser mechanism extending into the doser reservoir based on operating the vibration device to adjustably control the flow of granular material through the bottom opening.

A piled granular material surface management robot comprises an auger-based drive system, a memory, and a processor coupled with the memory. The processor is configured to control movement of the robot via the auger-based drive system. The processor is also configured to direct a traversal of a surface of piled granular material in a bulk store, wherein a crust layer of the surface is broken up by auger rotation of the auger-based drive system during the traversal.

A piled granular material surface management robot comprises an auger-based drive system, a memory, and a processor coupled with the memory. The processor is configured to control movement of the robot via the auger-based drive system. The processor is also configured to direct a traversal of a surface of piled granular material in a bulk store, wherein a crust layer of the surface is broken up by auger rotation of the auger-based drive system during the traversal.

A piled granular material management robot comprises an auger-based drive system, a memory, a moisture sensor, and a processor coupled with the memory and with the moisture sensor. The processor is configured to control movement of the robot via augers of the auger-based drive system. The processor is also configured to direct a traversal, by the robot, of a portion of a surface of piled granular material in a bulk store. The processor is also configured to capture, via the moisture sensor, a moisture measurement of the portion of the piled granular material during the traversal of the portion of the piled granular material by the robot.