An inactivation device and method for physical wounding to death of long-spined sea star
By using an underwater robot to identify and mechanically kill crown-of-thorns starfish with a drilling device, the pollution problem of the marine environment in existing technologies has been solved, and safe and efficient inactivation of crown-of-thorns starfish has been achieved.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- HAINAN ACADEMY OF OCEAN & FISHERIES SCI
- Filing Date
- 2023-02-02
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-21
AI Technical Summary
Existing methods for inactivating crown-of-thorns starfish are harmful to the marine environment, and manual harvesting and injection of toxic reagents pose safety hazards and environmental impacts.
An underwater robot carrying an image acquisition and recognition module was used to mechanically destroy the crown-of-thorns starfish using a drilling device. The starfish was killed by being stabbed with a drill bit, thus avoiding the use of toxic reagents.
The inactivation process of crown-of-thorns starfish does not pollute the marine environment, is simple and safe to operate, and avoids damage to corals.
Smart Images
Figure CN115843778B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to a method for inactivating crown-of-thorns starfish, specifically to an inactivation device and method for crown-of-thorns starfish that has caused death by physical stings. Background Technology
[0002] The crown-of-thorns starfish, also known as the devil starfish, is a predatory sea creature. It primarily inhabits coral-rich waters of the western Pacific and Indian Oceans, feeding mainly on corals, but sometimes also preying on crustaceans or sea cucumbers, earning it the nickname "coral killer." When hunting, the crown-of-thorns starfish climbs onto its prey, secreting digestive juices that dissolve the coral polyps into liquid before consuming and absorbing them, leaving only the white coral exoskeleton. A single adult crown-of-thorns starfish can consume up to 10 square meters of coral per year. Its ability to move at a speed of 20 meters per hour, endure nine months without food, and possess toxins on its spines give this species an extremely low survival threshold. In a crown-of-thorns starfish outbreak, it can devour large areas of healthy coral in just a few days.
[0003] Currently, there are two common methods for controlling crown-of-thorns starfish. One is manual harvesting by diving into the seabed. However, because crown-of-thorns starfish live at considerable depths, this method requires highly skilled operators and poses numerous safety hazards. The other method is to inject toxic agents to kill the starfish, but the injected toxic substances can harm the environment. Summary of the Invention
[0004] To address the problem that existing methods for inactivating crown-of-thorns starfish can negatively impact the marine environment, this invention provides an inactivation device for starfish that kills through physical stings. The device includes an underwater robot equipped with an image acquisition module and a recognition module. The image acquisition module captures underwater images, and the recognition module identifies crown-of-thorns starfish within the images. The robot also includes a drilling device. When the recognition module identifies a crown-of-thorns starfish in the image, the robot controls the drilling device to move towards the starfish's location and continues moving a preset distance before stopping upon reaching it.
[0005] Compared with existing technologies, this solution replaces the injection of toxic reagents with the activity of a drilling device. The drilling device mechanically destroys the crown-of-thorns starfish to achieve underwater inactivation of the starfish. No toxic substances are introduced in this process, thus effectively avoiding the impact on the marine environment.
[0006] Preferably, the drilling device includes a rotatable drill bit, which is rotated by a robot when the drilling device reaches the crown-of-thorns starfish. In this solution, the rotating drill bit is used to achieve mechanical destruction of the crown-of-thorns starfish, and the operation is simple.
[0007] Preferably, a pressure sensor is provided at the drill bit's tip. When the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor fluctuates, the drill bit stops rotating, and the drilling device stops moving. Considering that as the drilling device moves, the drill bit will damage the coral to which the crown-of-thorns starfish is attached after passing through it, and that the pressure sensor will apply different pressures to the starfish and coral due to the different hardness of the starfish and coral, this design includes a pressure sensor at the drill bit's tip. When the detected pressure value fluctuates, it indicates that the drill bit has passed through the starfish and is in contact with the coral. At this point, the drill bit stops rotating, and the drilling device also stops moving, effectively preventing damage to the coral from the drilling device.
[0008] Preferably, the pressure sensor is activated when the drill bit rotates and deactivated when the drill bit stops rotating. Considering that the coral will not be damaged when the drill bit is not rotating, this design activates the pressure sensor only when the drill bit rotates and deactivates it after the drill bit stops. This reduces the operating time of the pressure sensor and thus lowers its power consumption.
[0009] Preferably, the rotation diameter of the drill bit is greater than 4 cm. Since small-area physical punctures are insufficient to kill the crown-of-thorns starfish, the larger-than-4 cm diameter ensures that the starfish suffers large-area physical punctures, rendering it immobile and ultimately causing its death.
[0010] Preferably, the drilling device further includes multiple legs located at the rear end of the drill bit. Since the crown-of-thorns starfish has many spines on its tentacles, the multiple legs on the drill bit in this design can entangle the crown-of-thorns starfish's tentacles during drill bit rotation, thus facilitating the recovery of the starfish.
[0011] Preferably, the front end of the support leg does not extend beyond the front end of the drill bit. In this design, ensuring that the front end of the support leg does not extend beyond the front end of the drill bit prevents damage to the surrounding environment during drill bit rotation.
[0012] Secondly, the present invention provides a method for inactivating starfish killed by physical stings, using any of the aforementioned drilling devices, comprising the following steps:
[0013] Acquire underwater images and identify the location of crown-of-thorns starfish from the underwater images;
[0014] Control the drilling device to move toward the location of the crown-of-thorns starfish, and continue moving when it reaches the starfish before stopping. Attached Figure Description
[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the drill bit structure in Embodiment 1 of the inactivation device and method for physical sting-induced death by starfish of the present invention.
[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the drill bit in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Detailed Implementation
[0017] The following detailed description illustrates the specific implementation method:
[0018] The reference numerals in the accompanying drawings include: drill bit 1, collection chamber 10, through groove 12, and scraper 14.
[0019] Example 1 is basically as shown in the appendix. Figure 1 The diagram illustrates an inactivation device for physical sting-induced death by crown-of-thorns starfish. It includes an underwater-walking robot equipped with an image acquisition module and a recognition module. The image acquisition module captures underwater images, and the recognition module identifies the presence of crown-of-thorns starfish within the images. Specifically, the recognition module has a pre-set standard image of the crown-of-thorns starfish. During recognition, the module compares the acquired image with the standard image. If the underwater image contains a shape identical or similar to the standard image, it is determined that the acquired image contains a crown-of-thorns starfish. Other recognition methods can also be used in other embodiments.
[0020] The robot also includes a drilling device. When the recognition module identifies the crown-of-thorns starfish from the image, the robot controls the drilling device to move toward the location of the crown-of-thorns starfish and then stops after moving a preset distance upon reaching the starfish.
[0021] Specifically, the drilling device includes a rotatable drill bit 1 with a rotation diameter of 2-4 cm. When the drilling device reaches the crown of thorns starfish, the robot controls the rotation of the drill bit 1. Multiple legs are set at the rear end of the drill bit 1, and the front end of the legs does not extend beyond the front end of the drill bit 1.
[0022] A pressure sensor is installed at the front end of drill bit 1. When drill bit 1 rotates, the pressure sensor is activated. When the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor fluctuates, drill bit 1, pressure sensor, and drilling device all stop working. In this embodiment, when the current pressure value exceeds the previous pressure value by a value of X, it is determined that the pressure value has fluctuated. X can be preset by the user according to the situation.
[0023] Based on the above-mentioned underwater inactivation device, this embodiment also provides an inactivation method for starfish killed by physical stings, including the following steps:
[0024] The underwater robot walks underwater, collects underwater images, and identifies the location of the crown-of-thorns starfish from the underwater images based on a preset standard image of the crown-of-thorns starfish.
[0025] The drilling device is controlled to move towards and reach the crown-of-thorns starfish. Upon reaching the starfish, the drill bit 1 at the front end of the drilling device rotates, and a pressure sensor detects the real-time pressure value. The drilling device continues to move, and the rotating drill bit 1 drills a hole larger than 4 cm into the crown-of-thorns starfish, mechanically destroying it. During the rotation of the drill bit 1, the legs on the drill bit 1 will entangle the tentacles of the crown-of-thorns starfish. In other embodiments, the size of the hole may exceed 20% of the surface area of the crown-of-thorns starfish.
[0026] As the drilling device continues to move, the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor is compared with the previous pressure value. When the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor fluctuates compared with the previous pressure value, the drill bit 1 stops rotating, the drilling device stops moving, and the pressure sensor stops operating.
[0027] The crown-of-thorns starfish used in this embodiment came from the waters of the Zhongsha Islands (E 114°46′07.87″, N 15°54′25.80″), at a water depth of 25m. After piercing the crown-of-thorns starfish with a drilling device, it was placed in a tank containing 150L of natural seawater. The natural seawater was changed every 8 hours, and the temperature was 28°C, the salinity was 35ppt, and it was continuously aerated and exposed to natural light.
[0028] Specifically, seven undamaged and healthy crown-of-thorns starfish were selected. One starfish served as the control group, and one starfish served as experimental group ①, with one hole pierced on its back using a 1cm diameter drill bit. One starfish served as experimental group ②, with two holes pierced on its back using a 1cm diameter drill bit. One starfish served as experimental group ③, with three holes pierced on its back using a 1cm diameter drill bit. One starfish served as experimental group ④, with one hole pierced on its back using a 2cm diameter drill bit. One starfish served as experimental group ⑤, with one hole pierced on its back using a 4cm diameter drill bit. One starfish served as experimental group ⑥, with one hole pierced on its back using a 6cm diameter drill bit. The seven crown-of-thorns starfish were then kept in a 150L tank, and the condition of each starfish was observed in real time. During the experiment, the water temperature was kept relatively stable at 28℃, and oxygen was provided in real time using an aerator. Natural seawater was changed every 8 hours.
[0029] The experimental results are shown in the table below.
[0030] control group No deaths were reported. Experimental group ① No deaths were reported. Experimental group ② No deaths were reported. Experimental group ③ No deaths were reported. Experimental group ④ No deaths were reported. Experimental group ⑤ The starfish died between hours 96 and 100 of the experiment. Experimental group 6 The starfish died between hours 48 and 56 of the experiment.
[0031] As shown in the table above, small-area physical wounds to crown-of-thorns starfish are not fatal in the short term, and the starfish may undergo tissue repair. However, a wound larger than 4cm can cause death in a short period. This indicates that large-area physical wounds can directly render a starfish immobile, preventing it from feeding and even leading to death. Furthermore, starfish with more than 20% surface area (i.e., epidermal tissue) damage during transportation and aquaculture will die within a week.
[0032] Example 2
[0033] like Figure 2 As shown, unlike Embodiment 1, in this embodiment, the drill bit 1 has an axially oriented collection cavity 10, and a radially opening groove 12 connecting the collection cavity 10 is formed at the front of the drill bit 1. A scraper 14 is also provided at the groove 12 at the front end of the drill bit 1, with an angle between the scraper 14 and the drill bit 1. The groove 12 is arranged along the inclined direction of the scraper 14. The acute angle between the scraper 14 and the drill bit 1 is set opposite to the rotation direction of the drill bit 1. Figure 2 In the middle, the rotation direction of drill bit 1 is clockwise.
[0034] In this embodiment, during the rotation of the drill bit 1, the fragments of the broken crown-of-thorns starfish are intercepted by the scraper 14 and accumulate on the scraper 14. Then, they move along the scraper 14 toward the through groove 12 and finally enter the collection chamber 10 inside the drill bit 1 through the through groove 12, thereby realizing the collection of crown-of-thorns starfish fragments.
[0035] The above descriptions are merely embodiments of the present invention. Commonly known structures and characteristics are not described in detail here. Those skilled in the art are aware of all common technical knowledge in the field prior to the application date or priority date, are aware of all existing technologies in that field, and have the ability to apply conventional experimental methods prior to that date. Those skilled in the art can, under the guidance of this application, improve and implement this solution in combination with their own capabilities. Some typical known structures or methods should not be obstacles for those skilled in the art to implement this application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several modifications and improvements without departing from the structure of the present invention. These should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention, and will not affect the effectiveness of the implementation of the present invention or the practicality of the patent. The scope of protection claimed in this application should be determined by the content of its claims, and the specific embodiments described in the specification can be used to interpret the content of the claims.
Claims
1. A device for inactivating crown-of-thorns starfish caused by physical stings, comprising an underwater walking robot, the robot being equipped with an image acquisition module and a recognition module, the image acquisition module acquiring underwater images, and the recognition module identifying the presence of crown-of-thorns starfish in the images; characterized in that: The robot also includes a drilling device comprising a rotatable drill bit. When the recognition module identifies a crown-of-thorns starfish from the image, the robot controls the drilling device to move toward the crown-of-thorns starfish and continue moving upon reaching it before stopping. The drill bit has a diameter greater than 4cm; the drill bit has an axial collection cavity inside; a through groove is radially opened at the front of the drill bit to connect the collection cavity; a scraper is also provided at the through groove at the front end of the drill bit; there is an angle between the scraper and the drill bit; the through groove is set along the inclined direction of the scraper. The drill bit is equipped with a pressure sensor at its front end. When the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor fluctuates, the drill bit stops rotating and the drilling device stops moving.
2. The inactivation device for physical sting-induced death from crown-of-thorns starfish according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robot controls the rotation of the drill bit when the drilling device reaches the crown-of-thorns starfish.
3. The inactivation device for physical sting-induced death from starfish stings according to claim 2, characterized in that: The pressure sensor is activated when the drill bit rotates and is deactivated when the drill bit stops rotating.
4. The inactivation device for physical sting-induced death from starfish according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The drilling device also includes multiple support legs located at the rear end of the drill bit.
5. The inactivation device for physical sting-induced death from crown-of-thorns starfish according to claim 4, characterized in that: The front end of the support leg does not extend beyond the front end of the drill bit.
6. A method for inactivating crown-of-thorns starfish caused by physical stings leading to death, characterized in that: Using the inactivation device according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 5 includes the following steps: Acquire underwater images and identify the location of crown-of-thorns starfish from the underwater images; Control the drilling device to move towards the crown-of-thorns starfish and continue moving when it reaches the starfish, then stop.