Research & Development

Portable VOC sampling for biosecurity and pest detection

1Armada is developing a portable air sampler that collects volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from enclosed spaces onto removable cartridges, for later analysis by trained biological detection systems. We are looking for research, development and funding partners.

Partner with us Development status

The technology is aimed at research into early insect pest detection, stored-product protection, shipping-container inspection and agricultural biosecurity.

The proposed device draws a controlled volume of air from an enclosed environment and captures airborne VOCs onto removable sampling cartridges. The cartridges can be transported to a separate biological detection system, which may allow inspections where direct access by the biosensor is impractical.

The engineering concept includes controlled airflow, sample identification, environmental monitoring and digital records to support repeatable sampling.

Use of VOCs

Insects and infested produce give off airborne chemical signals

Insects, and the stored products they feed on, release volatile organic compounds into the air. Sampling that air is a way to look for pests without opening sacks, unpacking a container or sending someone into a silo. The idea is to capture those signals in the field and analyse them elsewhere.

Sample

Draw a controlled volume of air from the enclosed space.

Capture

Trap airborne VOCs on a removable sampling cartridge.

Cartridge ID · QR-labelled

Analyse

Send the cartridge to a laboratory (e.g. GC-MS) or a biological detection system.

Chain-of-custody record

Record

Link the result to the site, the time and the operator.

Platform audit trail

Platform steps are proposed uses of 1Armada’s existing tooling, not a finished integration.

Target settings

Agriculture first, alongside our infrastructure work

Research focus

Agriculture and biosecurity

  • Early detection of insect pests in stored products
  • Inspection of shipping containers and cargo
  • Greenhouse and agricultural storage monitoring
  • Quarantine and border biosecurity
Existing 1Armada work

Critical infrastructure

1Armada’s identity and access tools are designed for ports, logistics hubs and secure sites. These are also the places where containers and cargo are handled, which makes them natural settings for field trials.

See the platform →

Why 1Armada

A software team taking on a hardware problem

1Armada builds identity and access apps used on iOS and Android. Sampling is only useful if each sample can be identified, tracked and trusted, and that is the part of the problem we already know.

We are not claiming a finished integration. We see these as areas where our platform experience could support the research, and where a partner’s input would shape the design.

1Guard patrol route screen
1Guard device management screen

Existing 1Guard app: patrol routes and device management. Illustrative of the tooling, not the sampler.

What we already buildWhat it could do for the sampler
QR credentials1Identity
→
QR-labelled cartridges and sampling sessions, so every sample is traceable.
Audit trails and access recordsPlatform
→
Digital chain-of-custody records from collection to laboratory.
Patrol routes and checkpoints1Guard
→
Guided inspection routes and sampling logs for container and storage sites.
Device management1Guard
→
Registering and tracking sampler units by serial number.
Ports and transport sitesExisting sector
→
A natural field-trial setting for shipping-container inspection.

Development status

Design complete. First prototype pending.

Physical prototype testing, VOC collection efficiency, sample recovery and biological detection performance remain to be experimentally validated. We make no performance claims at this stage, which is why we are looking for experimental partners.

Where the project stands

  • Mechanical design and manufacturing drawings
  • Electronic circuit and PCB design
  • Embedded firmware development
  • Computer-based engineering and safety simulations
  • Prototype assembly and manufacturing documentation
  • Physical prototype build and testing
  • VOC capture and recovery validation
  • Biological detection experiments

Where we need partners

Research opportunities

We are looking for research institutions, universities, laboratories and industrial partners interested in:

01

Chemical ecology

Insect-associated VOC identification and chemical ecology.

02

Capture and recovery

VOC capture, sorbent selection and sample recovery.

03

Analytical testing

Laboratory testing using techniques such as GC-MS.

04

Biological detection

Biological detection and comparative sampling experiments.

05

Engineering validation

Prototype manufacturing and engineering validation.

06

Joint funding

Joint grant applications and co-funded development.

07

Field trials

Trials in agricultural, logistics and biosecurity environments.

Proposed programme

Compare how VOCs are collected and handled

An important objective is to compare alternative VOC collection and sample-handling approaches to determine which methods best preserve biologically relevant chemical signals.

We are interested in collaborating on laboratory protocols, controlled trials and experimental evaluation of the technology.

Get in touch

Partner with us

1Armada welcomes enquiries from universities, scientific institutes, research funding organisations and industrial technology partners.

We are particularly interested in long-term partnerships combining engineering development, experimental validation, research funding and potential commercial applications.

Contact us to discuss a potential research partnership or request a non-confidential technical overview.

Research partnership enquiry