Adaptive Lighting Control for Crustacean Molting Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Molting failures and cannibalism are significant causes of mortality in crustacean farms, particularly during the molting process, which is influenced by factors like light intensity and stocking density, and existing methods to reduce cannibalism are ineffective.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that detects molting regions in a water volume using image analysis or sensor data and controls light distribution to create darker molting regions compared to non-molting regions, reducing visibility and attracting non-molting crustaceans away from molting individuals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If crustaceans are kept in high stocking density to increase productivity, then food consumption increases, but cannibalism during molting increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating specific dark zones within the aquaculture environment where molting crustaceans are protected from cannibals. Instead of uniformly lighting the entire tank, the system implements localized lighting control that provides darkness in specific regions where molting occurs, thereby protecting vulnerable individuals without compromising overall productivity.
2Measurement precision
If light intensity is increased to improve visibility and monitoring, then detection precision improves, but cannibalism increases due to better visibility of molting crustaceans
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements local quality by differentiating lighting conditions across different spatial zones. Bright lighting is provided in areas where monitoring and feeding occur, while dark zones are created in areas where molting crustaceans reside. This localized approach allows maintaining detection precision where needed while protecting vulnerable individuals from cannibals through reduced visibility.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If molting crustaceans are made less visible by reducing light intensity, then cannibalism decreases, but monitoring and detection of molting regions becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the aquaculture environment into distinct functional zones with different lighting conditions. The system segments the space into bright zones for monitoring and feeding activities, and dark zones for molting and reproduction. This spatial segmentation allows simultaneous achievement of both goals: protecting molting crustaceans from cannibals while maintaining detection capabilities in appropriate zones.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If existing methods to reduce cannibalism are used, then some protection is provided, but they are ineffective in reducing molting failures and cannibalism
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamics by making the lighting conditions adaptive and responsive rather than static. The lighting system dynamically adjusts illumination based on real-time detection of molting crustaceans, automatically creating dark zones when molting is detected and restoring normal lighting when molting completes. This dynamic response ensures reliable protection against cannibalism and molting failures throughout the entire molting cycle.
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
Reduces cannibalism and molting failures by ensuring molting crustaceans remain less visible and less prone to stress, promoting their survival and growth.
Implementation Method 1
controlling a distribution of irradiance of light throughout the volume of water such that each of the detected one or more molting regions receives, and/or will receive at the future time, an irradiance that is lower than an irradiance that is received, and/or that will be received at the future time, by regions outside of the detected molting regions
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A~2C
AI summary
A method and corresponding system are disclosed for supporting molting of crustaceans in a volume of water at least partially enclosed by one or more barriers for keeping crustaceans in the volume. The method comprises (i) detecting one or more molting regions in the volume of water. As referred to herein, molting regions are regions where crustaceans are molting and/or expected to be molting at a future time. The method further comprises (ii) based on the detected one or more molting regions, controlling a distribution of irradiance of light throughout the volume of water such that each of the detected one or more molting regions receives, and/or will receive at the future time, an irradiance that is lower than an irradiance that is received, and/or that will be received at the future time, by regions outside of the detected molting regions.