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Figure 11.
Normalized and weighted data for each criterion of the six combinations of Cutting & Bagging method_
| Cutting & Bagging Method | Time of Execution (s) | Microgreen Debris (number) | Yield (g of edible biomass) | Root debris (number) | Microgreens left on Hardware (%) | Seedlings Growing under the Lid (number)* | No Hardware Failure (%) | Perceived Ease of Use** | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guillotine Attached | 0.77 | 1.05 | 1.66 | 1.21 | 0.90 | 0.88 | 2.00 | 0.55 | 9.01 | 5 |
| Guillotine Manual | 0.71 | 0.87 | 2.00 | 0.70 | 1.28 | 0.88 | 2.00 | 0.55 | 8.98 | 6 |
| Pepper Grinder Attached | 1.00 | 1.90 | 1.30 | 1.99 | 1.50 | 0.61 | 1.60 | 1.00 | 10.91 | 1 |
| Pepper Grinder Manual | 0.82 | 0.51 | 1.06 | 2.00 | 1.49 | 0.61 | 2.00 | 1.00 | 9.49 | 3 |
| Scissors Attached | 0.63 | 2.00 | 1.94 | 1.99 | 0.02 | 1.50 | 1.20 | 0.39 | 9.67 | 2 |
| Scissors Manual | 0.70 | 0.33 | 1.83 | 1.39 | 0.96 | 1.50 | 2.00 | 0.39 | 9.10 | 4 |
Quantitative and qualitative data collected in-flight and post-flight_
| Quantitative Data | Qualitative Data | |
|---|---|---|
| In-Flight |
|
|
| Post-Flight |
|
|
Criteria and associated weights used for the trade analysis, along with justification for each criterion_
| Criteria | Evaluation Data | Data Collection | Justification | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time of Execution | Average total harvest time across all operators | Flight video analysis | Crew time needs to be minimized | 1 |
| Microgreen Debris | Average debris counts across all operators | Flight video analysis | Loss of food and environmental safety hazard—needs to be minimized | 2 |
| Yield (edible biomass) | Fresh mass adjusted by planting density | Post-flight weighing | Biomass production needs to be maximized | 2 |
| Root debris | Average root debris counts across all operators | Post-flight count | Food safety hazard needs to be minimized | 2 |
| Percentage of microgreens left on the hardware | Ratio between microgreen plants remaining on hardware and total plants | Post-flight count | Loss of food—needs to be minimized | 1.5 |
| Number of seedlings growing under the lids | Average number across all units of a given hardware | Post-flight photo analysis count | Loss of food—needs to be minimized | 1.5 |
| Percentage of no failures of the hardware | Ratio between number of hardware failure and total runs | Flight video analysis | Severe loss of food, potential food safety hazard—needs to be minimized | 2 |
| Perceived ease of use | Average score across all operators | In-flight surveys | Mental health of crew—needs to be maximized | 1 |
Average and standard deviation for eight different criteria and the six combinations_
| Cutting & Bagging Method | Number of Cases | Mean Time of Execution (s) +/*− Standard Deviation | Microgreen Debris (number) | Yield (g of edible biomass) | Root Debris (number) | Microgreens left on Hardware (%) | Seedlings Growing under Lid (number)** | No Hardware Failure (%) | Perceived Ease of Use*** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guillotine Attached | 9 | ab 18.00 +/− 4.4 | ab 7.78 +/− 7.0 | ab 19.39 +/− 5.7 | a 1.89 +/− 2.4 | a 12.56 +/− 8.0 | ab 13.14 +/− 10.7 | a 100 +/− 0 | 4.03 |
| Guillotine Manual | 11 | ab 19.27 +/− 3.7 | a 8.82 +/− 4.3 | a 23.42 +/− 7.0 | a 2.55 +/− 2.7 | a 4.91 +/− 3.4 | ab 13.14 +/− 10.7 | a 100 +/− 0 | 4.03 |
| Pepper Grinder Attached | 10* | a 13.20 +/− 4.7 | b 2.60 +/− 1.8 | ab 15.24 +/− 2.6 | a 0.90 +/− 1.4 | a 0.40 +/− 0.5 | a 16.00 +/− 5.3 | ab 80 +/− 40 | 1.87 |
| Pepper Grinder Manual | 9* | ab 16.89 +/− 5.0 | a 11.00 +/− 5.9 | b 12.36 +/− 3.0 | a 0.89 +/− 1.6 | a 0.67 +/− 0.67 | a 16.00 +/− 5.3 | a 100 +/− 0 | 1.87 |
| Scissors Attached | 10* | b 20.89 +/− 5.7 | b 2.00 +/− 1.7 | a 22.68 +/− 7.7 | a 0.90 +/−1.4 | b 30.20 +/− 16.7 | b 6.54 +/− 3.7 | b 60 +/− 49 | 4.77 |
| Scissors Manual | 9 | ab 19.56 +/− 3.9 | a 12.11 +/− 4.3 | ab 21.42 +/− 9.1 | a 1.67 +/− 1.9 | a 11.2 +/− 7.6 | b 6.54 +/− 3.7 | a 100 +/− 0 | 4.77 |