Marine Activity Data System Using Fishing Vessel Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
The lack of reliable and widespread systems for predicting weather patterns over bodies of water poses safety and efficiency challenges for marine activities, as traditional weather ships have been decommissioned and weather buoys are not consistently reliable, leading to sparse and inaccurate data collection.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for managing and sharing marine activity data, including environmental conditions, fishing equipment, and species caught, using sensors to create buoy profiles that can be shared among users, alerting them to dangerous weather and optimal fishing locations, and allowing for the recording and sharing of fishing-related information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by stationary object
If weather buoys are used to collect environmental data, then cost is reduced compared to weather ships, but reliability deteriorates due to frequent component malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows fishing vessels to perform multiple functions: they continue their primary fishing operations while simultaneously collecting and transmitting weather and environmental data. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by making the data collection system more reliable (using existing reliable vessels) while keeping costs low (utilizing existing infrastructure rather than deploying dedicated weather stations).
Solution Approach 2:
Fishing vessels independently collect environmental data using their own sensors and equipment during normal operations, without requiring external maintenance or intervention. The data is automatically transmitted when connectivity is available, making the system self-sufficient and reliable while minimizing operational costs.
2Loss of information
If voluntary observing ships collect data, then weather prediction capability is improved, but data coverage deteriorates due to sparse distribution especially in southern hemisphere
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the ocean into multiple zones and assigns different fishing vessel types to collect data in their respective operational areas. This segmentation allows comprehensive coverage across different regions including the southern hemisphere, where traditional weather observation is sparse, while maintaining specialized data collection capabilities for weather prediction.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from relying solely on surface ships to utilizing subsurface floating structures (buoys) and satellite communications, adding vertical and spatial dimensions to data collection. This enables coverage in remote ocean areas including the southern hemisphere where ship traffic is minimal, thereby improving both data coverage and weather prediction capability simultaneously.
3Productivity
If fishermen share fishing location information, then fishing success can be improved through knowledge sharing, but competition disadvantage increases due to loss of secret locations
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows fishermen to selectively share information based on local conditions and relationships. They can share detailed location data with trusted local fishermen while providing more general information to broader communities, or share only specific environmental parameters without revealing precise coordinates. This resolves the contradiction by enabling fishing success improvement through targeted knowledge sharing while maintaining competitive advantage through selective information protection.
4Measurement precision
If detailed environmental data is collected, then accuracy of weather prediction is improved, but system complexity increases due to multiple sensors and data processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges environmental sensing capabilities into existing fishing vessel infrastructure rather than deploying separate dedicated weather observation systems. Fishing vessels already have sensors for navigation, fishing operations, and environmental monitoring; this system integrates and combines these existing sensors to collect comprehensive weather data, thereby improving prediction accuracy without significantly increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses multi-functional sensors that serve both fishing operations and weather data collection purposes. For example, sensors originally intended for navigation or fish finding are also utilized for environmental monitoring, eliminating the need for additional dedicated weather instruments and reducing system complexity while maintaining high measurement precision for weather prediction.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for managing information related to marine activities and selectively sharing such information is provided. The system is designed to collect environmental data and create buoy profiles that may be analyzed by users to scout environmental conditions that may be conducive to catching fish in certain geolocations. Buoy profiles are updated in real time by fisherman using the system. The system is also designed to collect information pertaining to a catch and create an activity profile that may be analyzed by users to scout optimal geolocations in which to catch fish. A user's activity profiles may be shared with other users or kept private depending on permission levels within the system. Additionally, the system is designed to alert users of dangerous weather conditions and optimal fishing geolocations based on the buoy profiles and environmental states created by the system.