Control systems for autonomous aquaculture structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11533861-B2
Application number	US-202117232851-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2021
Priority date	Apr 16, 2021
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media that implement an autonomous or semi-autonomous growth platform used to control live cargo exposures to environmental parameters by changing depth in an offshore environment. For example, the growth platform can be lowered at night so that farmed seaweed can perform luxury uptake of nutrients and raised during the daytime so that the farmed seaweed can capture sunlight.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
determining an environmental parameter associated with an autonomous submersible structure that includes a platform on which marine life grows;
determining, based on the environmental parameter, a schedule for changing a position of the platform over a period of a day, the positions and times specified by the schedule optimizing a balance between different, conflicting conditions that independently contribute to growth and health of the marine life;
determining an updated position for the autonomous submersible structure based on the schedule; and
generating an instruction to move the autonomous submersible structure to the updated position based on determining the updated position.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the marine life comprises seaweed, kelp or algae.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises an amount of sunlight, and wherein the schedule indicates that the platform is to decrease depth at certain times of the day to improve access to sunlight, and increase depth at other times of the day to increase access to other conditions that contribute to growth and health of the marine life while decreasing access to sunlight.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises a nutrient concentration in surrounding seawater, and wherein the schedule indicates that the platform is to increase depth at certain times of the day to improve access to the nutrient concentration, and decrease depth at other times of the day to increase access to other conditions that contribute to growth and health of the marine life while decreasing access to the nutrient concentration.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises an amount of dissolved oxygen in surrounding seawater, and wherein the schedule indicates that the platform is to increase depth at certain times of the day to improve access to the dissolved oxygen, and decrease depth at other times of the day to increase access to other conditions that contribute to growth and health of the marine life while decreasing access to the dissolved oxygen.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises a presence of nearby ships, and wherein the instruction comprises an instruction for the autonomous submersible structure to change a depth of the platform on which the marine life grows.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the instruction comprises an instruction for the autonomous submersible structure to navigate from a current position to the updated position.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions executable by a data processing apparatus and upon such execution cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
determining an environmental parameter associated with an autonomous submersible structure that includes a platform on which marine life grows;
determining, based on the environmental parameter, a schedule for changing a position of the platform over a period of a day, the positions and times specified by the schedule optimizing a balance between different, conflicting conditions that independently contribute to growth and health of the marine life;
determining an updated position for the autonomous submersible structure based on the schedule; and
generating an instruction to move the autonomous submersible structure to the updated position based on determining the updated position.

9. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the marine life comprises seaweed, kelp or algae.

10. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises an amount of sunlight, and wherein the schedule indicates that the platform is to decrease depth at certain times of the day to improve access to sunlight, and increase depth at other times of the day to increase access to other conditions that contribute to growth and health of the marine life while decreasing access to sunlight.

11. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises a nutrient concentration in surrounding seawater, and wherein the schedule indicates that the platform is to increase depth at certain times of the day to improve access to the nutrient concentration, and decrease depth at other times of the day to increase access to other conditions that contribute to growth and health of the marine life while decreasing access to the nutrient concentration.

12. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises an amount of dissolved oxygen in surrounding seawater, and wherein the schedule indicates that the platform is to increase depth at certain times of the day to improve access to the dissolved oxygen, and decrease depth at other times of the day to increase access to other conditions that contribute to growth and health of the marine life while decreasing access to the dissolved oxygen.

13. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises a presence of nearby ships, and wherein the instruction comprises an instruction for the autonomous submersible structure to change a depth of the platform on which the marine life grows.

14. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the instruction comprises an instruction for the autonomous submersible structure to navigate from a current position to the updated position.

15. A system comprising:
one or more processing devices; and
one or more storage devices storing instructions that are executable by the one or more processing devices to perform operations comprising:
determining an environmental parameter associated with an autonomous submersible structure that includes a platform on which marine life grows;
determining, based on the environmental parameter, a schedule for changing a position of the platform over a period of a day, the positions and times specified by the schedule optimizing a balance between different, conflicting conditions that independently contribute to growth and health of the marine life;
determining an updated position for the autonomous submersible structure based on the schedule; and
generating an instruction to move the autonomous submersible structure to the updated position based on determining the updated position.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the marine life comprises seaweed, kelp or algae.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises an amount of sunlight, and wherein the schedule indicates that the platform is to decrease depth at certain times of the day to improve access to sunlight, and increase depth at other times of the day to increase access to other conditions that contribute to growth and health of the marine life while decreasing access to sunlight.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises a nutrient concentration in surrounding seawater, and wherein the schedule indicates that the platform is to increase depth at certain times of the day to improve access to the nutrient concentration, and decrease depth at other times of the day to increase access to other conditions that contribute to growth and health of the marine life while decreasing access to the nutrient concentration.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises an amount of dissolved oxygen in surrounding seawater, and wherein the schedule indicates that the platform is to increase depth at certain times of the day to improve access to the dissolved oxygen, and decrease depth at other times of the day to increase a

Assignees

• X Dev Llc

Inventors

• Julian Dominico P
• Nordstrom Charles
• Zerger Jeff
• Atwater Joel Fraser
• Saenz Benjamin Lundquist

Classifications

• Y02A40/81

  Aquaculture, e.g. of fish · CPC title

• G05B13/0265

  the criterion being a learning criterion · CPC title

• A01G33/00 Primary

  Cultivation of seaweed {or algae} · CPC title

• A01D44/00

  Harvesting of underwater plants, e.g. harvesting of seaweed · CPC title

• A01K61/78 Primary

  Arrangements for sinking or mooring thereof · CPC title