Underwater Camera Stabilization for Seagrass Biomass Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Determining biomass of seagrass is difficult and current manual methods are unsustainable, time-consuming, and inaccurate, requiring substantial resources.
Innovation Solution
An underwater camera system with a buoyant support and stabilization assembly that maintains a horizontal orientation while scanning the seabed, using multiple cameras and sensors to estimate seagrass parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual sampling methods are used to estimate seagrass biomass, then measurement can be performed, but the process is time-consuming, inaccurate, and requires substantial resources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical sampling with an automated optical measurement system. Multiple cameras capture images of seagrass, and image processing algorithms automatically analyze the data to estimate biomass, eliminating the need for manual collection and measurement while improving both accuracy and speed
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates visual copies (images) of the seagrass using multiple cameras. These images serve as digital representations that can be analyzed without physically disturbing or removing the seagrass, enabling non-invasive, rapid, and repeated measurements
2Measurement precision
If manual sampling is used to determine seagrass biomass, then measurement is possible, but it requires substantial financial, logistical, and human resources
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system is designed to perform multiple functions: capturing seagrass images, measuring biomass, monitoring health, and tracking changes over time. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate manual processes into a single automated system, reducing overall resource requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The system processes and analyzes its own captured images using automated image processing algorithms. The cameras capture images, the processing system analyzes them, and biomass estimates are generated without requiring continuous human intervention for measurement and calculation, reducing human resource needs
3Stability of the object's composition
If the camera assembly drifts or rotates underwater, then positioning is difficult, but maintaining horizontal orientation is challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses buoyant elements that provide upward buoyant force to counteract the downward pull of gravity and water current forces on the camera assembly. This buoyancy compensation helps maintain the assembly's horizontal orientation and stable positioning underwater without requiring active control mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling mechanism acts as an intermediary between the buoyant support and the camera assembly. It transmits and distributes the buoyant forces evenly to the camera assembly, enabling stable horizontal orientation while allowing easy deployment and retrieval of the camera system
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
Facilitates accurate and efficient measurement of seagrass biomass by maintaining camera orientation and providing multiple fields of vision, reducing resource consumption and time.
Implementation Method 1
A buoyant support may be coupled to the camera assembly and configured to position the camera assembly under water
Implementation Method 2
The frame may be configured for resisting rotation and translation of the camera when the camera is submerged under water
Data Source
AI summary
An underwater camera system includes a camera assembly configured to scan a seabed while submerged under water and moving in a direction of travel. A buoyant support is coupled to the camera assembly and configured to position the camera assembly under water during the moving in the direction of travel. A stabilization assembly is coupled to the camera assembly and configured for adjusting an orientation of the camera assembly relative to the direction of travel.