TECHNICAL FIELD

This specification relates to aquaculture systems, and more specifically, to automated camera positioning for aquaculture feeding behavior monitoring.

BACKGROUND

Aquaculture refers to the breeding, rearing, and harvesting of animals and plants in all types of water environments under controlled conditions. One of the methods of aquaculture involves aquafarming, which is fish farming in tanks or ocean enclosures.

Offshore aquafarms can include feeding systems that introduce feed into the enclosure under the water surface, such as subfeeders. Monitoring the feeding behavior of fish in the ocean can be important to determine the amount of feed that is being consumed by the fish, and to modify the feeding regimen accordingly.

However, monitoring the feeding behavior offshore can pose significant challenges due to severe weather conditions and strong ocean currents that may arise. For effective feeding observation, monitoring equipment is typically submerged under water where it can collide with the feeding system or other objects.

Accordingly, there exists a growing need for systems and methods that would enable feeding behavior monitoring under the water surface in an effective and safe manner.

SUMMARY

Implementations of the present disclosure include methods for automated camera positioning for feeding behavior monitoring. More particularly, implementations of the present disclosure determine a positon of a camera underwater based on a spatial model of a subfeeder from which a feed is delivered to farmed fish.

In some implementations, the method includes the actions of: obtaining, by one or more cameras of a control system that includes (i) the one or more cameras, ii) a subfeeder, (iii) a database of spatial models, (iv) a position estimator, and (v) a winch controller, an image of a scene, obtaining, by the position estimator, a spatial model that corresponds to the subfeeder, the spatial model being obtained from the database of spatial models, determining, by the position estimator, based on data from the spatial model and the image of the scene, a current position of the one or more cameras relative to the subfeeder, selecting, by the position estimator, an updated position of the one or more cameras relative to the subfeeder, providing, by the position estimator, the updated position of the one or more cameras relative to the subfeeder to the winch controller, and moving, by the winch controller, the one or more cameras to the updated position.

In some implementations, selecting, by the position estimator, the updated position includes dynamically selecting the updated position of the one or more cameras relative to the subfeeder.

In some implementations, the updated position includes a preferred position of the one or more cameras relative to the subfeeder associated with the spatial model of the subfeeder.

In some implementations, determining, by the position estimator, based on data from the spatial model and the image of the scene, the current position of the one or more cameras relative to the subfeeder includes determining that at the current position of the one or more cameras relative to the subfeeder a feed is not visible within the image of the scene, and selecting, by the position estimator, the updated position of the one or more cameras relative to the subfeeder includes selecting the updated position of the one or more cameras relative to the subfeeder such that the feed is visible within the image of the scene.

In some implementations, determining, by the position estimator, based on data from the spatial model and the image of the scene, the current position of the one or more cameras relative to the subfeeder includes receiving, by the position estimator, a calibration information of the one or more cameras, and correlating the spatial model of the subfeeder within the image of the scene with the calibration information of the one or more cameras.

In some implementations, in the image of the scene, the subfeeder is at least partially obscured by another object.

In some implementations, the spatial model indicates metadata of the subfeeder, including a dimension of a portion of the subfeeder that is not discernable from the image of the scene.

In some implementations, the updated position of the one or more cameras relative to the subfeeder is located at a distance of 1 meter or less from a feeding point of the subfeeder.

The present disclosure further provides one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to one or more processors that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations in accordance with implementations of the methods provided herein.

The present disclosure further provides a system for implementing the methods provided herein. The system includes one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations in accordance with implementations of the methods provided herein.

Implementations of the present disclosure provide one or more of the following technical advantages and improvements over previously available solutions.

An automated system for feeding behavior monitoring can provide more accurate determination of feeding behavior and can increase the efficiency and sustainability of aquafarming. For example, the automated control can ensure that a camera is optimally positioned to capture images from which the feeding behavior of fish and unconsumed feeding pellets can be discerned. Accordingly, the feeding regimen can be appropriately modified so as to decrease feed wastage and improve growth yield.

The automated system for feeding behavior monitoring can obtain images of fish consuming the feed and determine where the camera should be placed on this basis. For example, the camera can be controlled such that the fish appear in the field of view of the camera, and a position of the camera can be determined such that it is located proximally to the feeding location. However, the feed delivered by a subfeeder in the enclosure can concentrate in close proximity to the subfeeder at localized areas with limited spread. As a result, the consumption of the feed by the fish tends to occur proximally to the feeding structure, which affects optimal camera positioning for monitoring. On the one hand, the camera should be positioned close enough to enable feeding behavior monitoring, and on the other hand the camera should be protected from collisions with the subfeeder and other underwater structures as the sea state moves things around.

Further, some subfeeders can be configured in different geometries. For example, some subfeeders can include protruding structures, such as sharp corners, that can collide with the camera. Accordingly, the systems described in this specification determine positioning of the camera by using a spatial model of a particular type of subfeeder, which can include detailed design features or other attributes of the feeding structure and provide information about optimal positioning of the camera such that collisions with the particular type of subfeeder are avoided. Therefore, the systems described in this specification can provide more accurate determination of feeding behavior while minimizing the likelihood of collision damage to the camera.

