The RoboSeed facilitates automated extraction of cereal mature embryos

Abstract

To overcome a critical bottleneck in plant biotechnology workflows, a semiautomated system RoboSeed was developed to extract mature embryos from cereal grains such as barley. In contrast to the commonly used manual extraction, the robot employs a precision-controlled pressing rod which applies mechanical force along an optimal trajectory and angle to detach intact embryos. A custom image-processing pipeline determines grain orientation and morphology, enabling precise rod alignment at the optimal force application point. Validation experiments using two barley cultivars (Noga and Golden Promise) and soaking duration of 10 and 20 h revealed optimal force application point relative location in the range 0.5-0.6, achieving maximum extraction success rates of 56.2 % (Noga) and 36 % (GP) after 20 h soaking. RoboSeed operated with a median cycle time of 20.9 s per extraction, translating to 37.2 s per successful embryo, compared to 27.9 s with expert manual extraction. While current throughput is lower than conventional methods, RoboSeed offers significant advantages in consistency, reduced reliance on operator skill, and potential for scaling. Future improvements include full automation of grain singulation, robotic arms for post-extraction handling, and expanded testing across additional genotypes. RoboSeed's modular design provides a robust foundation for scalable, high-throughput embryo extraction, with potential to accelerate cereal transformation, gene mapping studies, and tissue culture-based research.