Aug 7, 2017 - 3D printers. Algae can be used to produce a gel that in turn is used as ... well lie in giant autonomous roaming robotic cages, called aquapods,.
8 Digital Technologies Disrupting Aquaculture •
Published on Published on August 7, 2017
Aquaculture, also known as aqua farming, is believed to have first begun around 4,000 years ago in China and is now the fastest growing animal food production industry in the world. Previously, the industry suffered from the perception that the practice was unsustainable and unethical. Yet, for the first time in history, the consumption of farmed fish has exceeded that of wild caught fish and by 2030, is expected to account for two-thirds of the fish that humans consume. This increased demand has put a strain on wild resources and sustainable practices among fisheries leaving room for improvement in sourcing. Fortunately, there is great potential in fish farming and the opportunity to produce this protein source in a sustainable way is certainly attainable, particularly through the advent of technology. Like other agricultural industries, the technologies involved in aquaculture are seeing incredible developments leading to significant investment opportunities. According to AgFunder, aquaculture investment increased 271% in 2016 from the previous two years. The demand for fish is ever increasing, particularly when the health benefits of it are touted by nutritionists and doctors, helping to enforce people’s interest in consuming it. While, the production of fish as a primary protein source is considerably more efficientthan other protein sources such as cattle or pork by as much as six and four times on a feed conversion basis, much can still be done to improve the production and efficiencies in aquaculture. As such, the eight technologies, as identified in a previous article, are all applicable to the aquaculture industry and below outlines exactly how they might best be applied. 1. Could 3D printing save lives? Believe it or not, you can print your own hydroponic system! That is, of course, if you have a 3D printer.
While many people still do not have one for personal use, 3D printers are becoming more affordable and it is probably not too far down the road when people will have this technology right in their own home. 3Dponics is a company that offers downloadable instructions for printing hydroponic systems. Not only could this technology be used by the aquaculture industry, but it could potentially even be the next phase of personal at-home aquaculture gardens.
An example of 3D printing in aquaculture is a fish robot printed by MIT that almost perfectly mimics an actual fish’s motions and movements. Technology like this could allow for opportunities to further study and understand the natural environments of aqua-related species and aid in providing a more natural experience for fish used in production. A very different aspect of 3D printing involves the production of seaweed, which has been used to create an environmentally friendly, inexpensive material for the creation of medical implant devises using 3D printers. Algae can be used to produce a gel that in turn is used as
the primary material in the production of 3D medical implants. The seaweed aspect of the aquaculture industry could be affected if demand increases enough to drive the need for increased production and companies such as Australian based Venus Shell Systems could reap the benefits. The production of human tissue and organs is already on the agenda and could lead to the next stage of life saving procedures all stemming from the production of algae.
2. Will robots farm our fish? The future of fish farming could very well lie in giant autonomous roaming robotic cages, called aquapods, such as the SeaStation by InnovaSea. The growth of aquaculture production has now exceeded that of wild caught fish consumption. While considered the sustainable alternative, farmed fish isn’t without its own concerns. Fish farms are often cramped conditions which exacerbate other issues such as disease and parasites, often leading to lower yields and higher production costs. While these impressive cages
might seem costly, when compared to other costs of aquaculture, the technology will most likely prove its efficiencies, particularly as demand for protein from fish sources increases. Aquapods are designed to grow fish out in the open ocean, and repairing these structures would not be easy. Norwegian company SINTEF is developing an underwater robot that will be able to examine and repair these nets, providing a safer and more cost effective way to manage the operation. How will we then get these offshore fish to market? Rolls Royce believes robotic cargo ships will be used for more efficient, cleaner and more cost-effective shipping and this could potentially lead to transporting the off-shore fish production to commercial entities. The company has even signed contracts to transport the materials for the construction of off shore aqua farms, though these will most likely be facilitated through the usual cargo methods for the time being. Other robotic opportunities in our oceans include SeaVax, which is working to create a large scale, solar powered robotic vacuum cleaner that could pick up around 150 tons of plastic from the ocean. OceanOne is a bimanual underwater humanoid that allows for safer underwater exploration. This innovation could potentially serve as a human avatar, allowing the operator to work underwater while staying onshore. Marinetime Roboticsbased in Norway is providing all types of robotic or unmanned ocean monitoring devices to be used in exploration and aqua farming. Deep Trekker is another company producing submersible robots for underwater inspections. 3. Drones play a key role: Similar in many ways to robots, drones also offer applications for aquaculture both above and below the water.
Drones could be utilized for monitoring off shore fish farms, for example. Companies like Apium Swarm Robotics use drones en masse to survey the ocean and provide analysis through the use of sensor technology. Blueye Pioneer offers live video streaming through the use of a Smartphone, tablet or goggles with the Blueye app. Companies like SeaDrone, SeaDrone Dutch, Aquabotix, PowerRay and OpenRov are
making
affordable
drones for underwater exploration of both a professional and personal nature.
SailDrone offers data collection, fish stock analysis, and environmental tracking and could easily be applied to offshore aquaculture. This aquatic drone connects with a producer’s tablet, Smartphone, or computer and allows for information to be gathered and analyzed. Drones will be able to take on any number of tasks that are too dangerous for humans and supply information that is usable to create algorithms that further develop the technology or the applications available in the production of aquaculture and offshore fish farms.
4. Sensors are revolutionizing the underwater world: Many of the drones and robots mentioned above use sensors to navigate underwater and collect data such as water pH, salinity, oxygen levels, turbidity and pollutants. From salmon to oysters, biosensors such as those created by Senset are helping to create efficiencies in the industry through analysis of oxygen levels, water temperature, even heart rate and metabolism can be measured! Shrimp farms in India are using Sensorex to create dissolved oxygen and balance pH to create the ideal atmosphere to increase yields and efficiencies in shrimp farming. One of the coolest technologies is that of eFishery which can work in any size aqua farm and uses sensors to detect the hunger level of the fish and feeds accordingly. It can reduce feed costs by up to 21%. Real Tech uses ultraviolet transmission to disinfect water of pathogens and clean aquaculture production facilities. Norwegian Akva Group builds the entire cage with cameras, sensors, feeding and recirculation systems for use in open ocean or inland farming.
Osmobot focuses exclusively on land-based aquaculture and allows for cloud management and mobile connectivity. YSI has an array of handheld sensing devises, automatic feeding technology and transportation tanks that maintain the fishes’ ideal environment. Other neat
companies
that
offer
entire
monitoring
systems
include IPISingapore, which offers real time monitoring and connects for cloud based analytics and Pentair, which offers all type of sensor enabled aquaponic equipment for the small time hobbyist all the way up to commercial production companies. 5. Artificial intelligence improves production: Collecting most of their information from sensors, many aquaculture technology companies are harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to improve decision making. The yield, an Australian company that provides technologies for all types of agriculture, uses its Sensing+Aqua technology to create predictive analytics and improve on-farm decision making.
A robotic fish known as Shoaluses AI, or swarm intelligence (SI), to detect pollution underwater. The robots are sent out as a group and must be able to navigate their environment, avoid obstacles, including those of other robotic fish, recharge themselves at charging stations and generally make decisions autonomously of humans. A market leader in camera and feeding systems, Steinvik is making strides to incorporate AI and system learning in its technology in order to accommodate its customers rising expectations. Alternative sources to aquaculture for our fish supplies are the fisheries that source their product directly from the water without any cultivation techniques at all. According to The Economist, nearly 32% of wild caught fish is procured unsustainably. The introduction of AI can greatly reduce overexploited fish species through camera systems that use AI to identify species and determine which operations harvest legally and which do not.
The Seafood Innovation Cluster launched the AquaCloud platform that aims to help managers, researches and scientists gain new insights through its massive data collection and analysis. Particularly focused on sea lice management, the platform then uses AI to aid in the treatment
of
infestations,
while
maintaining
environmental
sustainability.
6. Augmented reality is saving lives: There is great potential for the use of AR in the aquaculture industry. AR is already incorporated by the Navythrough the use of DAVD(Divers Augmented Vision Display) which allows users to see high resolution sonar imagery superimposed on the diver’s visual world. NASA has tested Microsoft’s HoloLens in a similar way. The implications for this from an aquaculture industry standpoint are great. Producers could use this technology to analyze fish numbers, health, water temperature or salinity of off shore fishing farms. Similar masks include Scubus S by Indigogo, which has a
camera or Smart Swimming Goggles by Yanko Design, also with a camera and even allows for calls between divers. One of the best ways to incorporate AR into the aquaculture industry is to use it for teaching and instructional purposes. The Norwegian University of Science & Technology designed an aquaculture simulator using VR and AR and incorporating Oculus Rift’s technologies. The program has been designed to teach about fish welfare, disease prevention, escaping fish and dangerous working conditions. This last concept is of particular importance to students as salmon farming is one of Norway’s principle industries and also one of the more dangerous.
7. Virtual reality is teaching a lesson: The opportunities for VR in the aquaculture industry are many particularly for training and education. Interestingly, VR is being used to develop aquaculture interest in the next generation by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. NTNU has developed an aquaculture simulator that uses VR to allow students to virtually visit a fish farm. It is quite clear how
such developments could also be used for training purposes in the aquaculture industry. Nautilus VR was a kickstarter campaign in which the headset allowed the user to explore underwater ocean life. While no longer active, developments such as these will continue while the applications for this technology are further developed.
8. Blockchain verifies sustainability: Blockchain is a digital record of transactions that is accessible publicly and incorruptible by any one person. What it would mean in for the aquaculture industry is the opportunity for transactions between suppliers and purchasers to occur immediately and safely. There would be no need for the exchange of physical monies, potentially saving a great deal in transaction and currency exchange costs. Further, information about individual harvests and production methods could be stored here and made accessible to other producers and consumers. Privacy is always a critical concern when discussing these matters, but the way blockchain is set up maintains privacy, while enforcing transparency. Fish that is claimed as sustainably produced could, in fact, be verified as such. It is all connected through the internet of things: IoT is the technology that interconnects all the other technologies listed above. It is
a
technological
revolution
of
computing
and
communications. Eruvaka Technologies or Cargo Zippers are prime examples of IoT technology. Indeed it is IoT that makes the robot capable of performing tasks as assigned by a remote user or transfers information obtained through sensors to producers for analysis on smart phones, tablets or computers. The adaptation of the 8 digital technologies is certainly occurring at an ever-increasing rate in many industries. Aquaculture has been a relatively late adopter and what we are seeing is only the tip of the iceberg. When considering that the industry is the fastest growing sector in food production and the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) anticipates an additional 27 million tons of fish production will be needed just to maintain the present level of
consumption in 2030, it should come as no surprise that additional agtech investments in aquaculture will be at record levels and promise to make the business more sustainable, more traceable and more profitable. I would like to thank the following people for their contributions to the article: Patrick Charlton, Philip Lyons, John Sweetman, Douglas Solis. Photo credits: 1. M. Scott Brauer; 2. InnovaSea's website; 3. PowerRay's website; 4. Rully Setya Purnama from eFishery; 5. SHOAL Consortium/handout; 6. U.S. Navy; 7. Alltech; 8. Alltech.
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