System and method for smart aquaculture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11399520-B2
Application number	US-201916589156-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2019
Priority date	Aug 12, 2019
Publication date	Aug 2, 2022
Grant date	Aug 2, 2022

Abstract

A smart aquaculture method is provided for an aquaculture system including a breeding pool, a feeding machine and a camera disposed in the breeding pool. The method includes: taking an underwater image by the camera; calculating a feed remaining amount according to the underwater image; and controlling the feeding machine according to the feed remaining amount to dispense feed to the breeding pool.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A smart aquaculture system comprising:
a breeding pool;
a feeding machine;
a camera disposed in the breeding pool for capturing an underwater image, wherein a shooting end of the camera is convex;
a stand disposed in the breeding pool, wherein the camera is disposed on the stand; and
a controller communicatively connected to the camera and the feeding machine for obtaining the underwater image,
wherein the controller is configured to perform an image segmentation algorithm to the underwater image to obtain a feed image region, and determine whether an area of the feed image region is smaller than a first threshold,
wherein the controller is configured to control the feeding machine to dispense feed to the stand when the area of the feed image region is smaller than the first threshold.

2. The smart aquaculture system of claim 1 , wherein the stand comprises a mesh plane and a collection tray, a shooting direction of the camera is toward the mesh plane, and the collection tray extends outward from the mesh plane.

3. The smart aquaculture system of claim 2 , wherein the stand further comprises a support portion disposed under the mesh plane such that the mesh plane is spaced from a bottom of the breeding pool by a distance.

4. The smart aquaculture system of claim 1 , further comprising a washing machine configured to spew water or bubbles to the stand,
wherein the controller is configured to perform the image segmentation algorithm to the underwater image to obtain a stand image region, and activate the washing machine when an area of the stand image region is smaller than a second threshold.

5. A smart aquaculture method for an aquaculture system comprising a breeding pool, a feeding machine, a stand disposed in the breeding pool, and a camera, wherein the camera is disposed in the breeding pool, and the smart aquaculture method comprises:
capturing, by the camera, an underwater image, wherein a shooting end of the camera is convex;
performing an image segmentation algorithm to the underwater image to obtain a feed image region and a stand image region; and
controlling the feeding machine to dispense feed to the stand when an area of the feed image region is smaller than a first threshold.

6. The smart aquaculture method of claim 5 , wherein the aquaculture system further comprises a washing machine configured to spew water or bubbles to a stand, and the smart aquaculture method further comprises:
performing the image segmentation algorithm to the underwater image to obtain a stand image region; and
activating the washing machine when an area of the stand image region is smaller than a second threshold.

Assignees

• National Sun Yat Sen University

Inventors

• Huang Ing-Jer
• Hung Chin-Chang
• Chang Yun-Nan

Classifications

• A01K61/85 Primary

  for use with aquaria · CPC title

• G06T7/11

  Region-based segmentation · CPC title

• G06T2207/30232

  Surveillance · CPC title

• A01K61/80 Primary

  Feeding devices · CPC title

• A01K63/047

  Liquid pumps for aquaria (air pumps for aquaria A01K63/042) · CPC title