Underwater Camera Light Sensor Aquaculture Feeding
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Solution Overview
Problem
In aquaculture environments, fixed light sensors are prone to fouling and inefficiency due to water residue and debris, making it difficult to accurately determine light levels for fish feeding, especially in varying daylight conditions and geographic locations with obstructed sunlight.
Innovation Solution
Underwater cameras are used to capture images of the water surface, determining ambient light levels and initiating or ceasing fish feeding based on these conditions, with a system that includes a winch subsystem for depth adjustment and a lighting determination engine to evaluate light metrics and trigger feeding actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If fixed light sensors are used to determine light levels, then light measurement function is provided, but the sensors become fouled by water residue and debris causing measurement inaccuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an underwater camera to capture images of the water surface, which serves as a copy or representation of the light conditions. Instead of directly measuring light with a fouled sensor, the system captures visual information that reflects ambient light levels, thereby avoiding the fouling problem while maintaining measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/optical light sensor system with an imaging system (camera). The camera captures images that can be analyzed to determine light levels, substituting direct light measurement with image-based light assessment, which is not susceptible to fouling in the same way.
2Measurement precision
If underwater cameras are used to capture images for light determination, then accurate light level determination is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The underwater camera serves multiple functions: it captures images for light level determination, monitors fish behavior, and tracks feeding activities. By making the camera multi-functional, the patent avoids adding separate dedicated light sensors, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining accurate light measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses existing camera infrastructure (designed for visual monitoring) to also perform light level determination by analyzing captured images. This approach leverages the camera's imaging capability for dual purposes, avoiding the need for additional specialized light sensing hardware and reducing system complexity.
3Loss of substance
If fish are fed based on ambient light conditions, then food waste is reduced, but feeding timing control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors ambient light conditions using camera images and uses this feedback to automatically control feeding timing. When light levels indicate it is too dark for fish to see feed pellets, the system automatically stops or prevents feeding, reducing food waste. This closed-loop feedback control automates the decision-making process, managing complexity through systematic control logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the underwater camera to monitor both light conditions and fish feeding behavior simultaneously. The same imaging system that captures environmental data also observes whether fish are actively feeding, allowing the system to self-regulate feeding operations based on real-time visual feedback without requiring separate sensing systems.
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 solution provides accurate and reliable light-level determination, ensuring fish are fed only when they can see the pellets, reducing food waste and adapting to changing light conditions, thus improving aquaculture feeding efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
obtaining images of a surface of water captured by a camera that faces upwards from a depth towards the surface of the water... determining an ambient light metric at the depth from the images of the surface of the water
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium that automatically performs actions in an aquaculture environment based on light sensed by underwater cameras. One of the methods includes obtaining images of a surface of water captured by a camera that faces upwards from a depth towards the surface of the water within an enclosure that encloses aquatic livestock. An ambient light metric is determined at the depth from the images of the surface of the water. A determination is made as to whether the camera satisfies one or more depth criteria. Based on determining that the depth of the camera satisfies the one or more depth criteria, it is determined that, based on the ambient light metric at the depth, one or more action criteria are satisfied, then initiating performance of an action to be performed for the aquatic livestock.