Aquatic Plant Cultivation Using Image Recognition

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for cultivating aquatic plants, such as duckweed, are labor-intensive, dangerous, and prone to contamination, especially in river environments, making them inefficient for large-scale industrial use.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus and method utilizing image recognition to cultivate aquatic plants, which includes a cultivation unit, a camera unit for image capture, and a controller to analyze doubling time and optimize harvest cycles, allowing for automated harvesting and nutrient solution management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If manual collection by hand using landing nets is used, then the collection process is simple and low-cost, but it is labor-intensive, dangerous, and prone to contamination

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of collection processVSAvoidlabor efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical collection with an automated harvesting system that uses a harvesting unit to automatically collect aquatic plants from the cultivation tank, eliminating the need for manual labor while maintaining collection effectiveness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service automation where the harvesting unit autonomously performs the collection task without human intervention, allowing the cultivation system to harvest plants on its own according to the determined harvest cycle

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Device complexity

If manual collection by hand is used, then equipment requirements are minimal, but it requires direct human contact with water creating safety risks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveequipment simplicityVSAvoidsafety of collection process

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent substitutes manual human operation with an automated harvesting unit that physically collects plants from the water, eliminating safety risks associated with human contact with water while maintaining collection functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The harvesting unit acts as an intermediary between the cultivation system and the collection process, mediating the plant collection task without requiring human involvement in the water environment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If aquatic plants are collected from river environments, then natural growth conditions are maintained, but heavy metal contamination occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenatural growth environmentVSAvoidheavy metal contamination

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the aquatic plants from natural river environments and transfers them to a controlled cultivation tank environment, removing the plants from contaminated river water while maintaining their natural growth characteristics

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The cultivation tank creates a controlled, contamination-free environment that protects aquatic plants from heavy metal contamination present in natural river ecosystems, providing a safe cultivation setting

Inventive Principle:

Principle #39Inert atmosphere (Inert environment)

4Productivity

If image recognition is implemented to analyze doubling time and optimize harvest cycles, then harvest optimization is achieved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveharvest optimizationVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex manual monitoring and decision-making processes with an image recognition-based automated system that captures images, analyzes plant growth, and determines harvest timing automatically

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback through continuous image capture and analysis, where the controller monitors plant growth in real-time, analyzes doubling time based on image data, and adjusts harvest cycle decisions based on this feedback information

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach enables the cultivation of aquatic plants of uniform quality, reduces labor and safety risks, increases yield, and allows for cultivation in small areas, addressing contamination and efficiency issues in traditional methods.

Implementation Method 1

a camera unit configured to capture an image of the cultivation unit

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectImage capture: Photography

Implementation Method 2

a controller configured to analyze a doubling time in the image of the cultivation unit using image recognition

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectImage recognition: Image Processing

Data Source

PatentEP4552482A1Apparatus and method for cultivating aquatic plant using image recognition

Publication Date: 2025.05.14 VIROUTE INC

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AI summary

The present disclosure includes a cultivation unit (110) configured to accommodate the aquatic plant, a camera unit (120) configured to capture an image of the cultivation unit, and a controller (130) configured to analyze a doubling time in the image of the cultivation unit using image recognition and analyze a harvest cycle and a one-time harvest amount of the aquatic plant based on the analyzed doubling time of the aquatic plant.