Ace Aquatec seeks to turn the focus on to its cameras

Dundee-based fish farming technology innovator Ace Aquatec today highlighted the welfare potential of its A-BIOMASS artificial intelligence-powered underwater camera, and gave examples of its proven biomass estimation accuracy in real-world conditions.

Ace Aquatec has produced AI modules that enable the camera to be used for five farmed species: Atlantic salmon, trout, yellowtail kingfish, chinook (king) salmon, and Arctic char.

The trout module was successfully tested in Scotland, where it achieved 98% accuracy against harvest results, while the yellowtail module was deployed in Australia in low-light conditions and achieved accuracy levels of 98% within a few days of deployment. 

In New Zealand, the module for chinook salmon was released last year and has consistently achieved 99% accuracy, while Atlantic salmon customers in UK and Chile also see consistent results within 1-2 percentage points of actual harvest. 

Health modules

Ace Aquatec also offers a new health module for the A-BIOMASS camera that is based upon Laksvel, a standardised, operational welfare monitoring protocol for Atlantic salmon held in sea pens that was devised by Norwegian research institutes and fish welfare companies.

The AI-enabled camera identifies and records welfare indicators, providing a range of information on fish conditions and externally observable health status such as wounds and maturation, enabling farmers to detect and treat disease at an early stage. This should lead to fewer instances of disease and overall improvements in fish health. 

The module can be used for all five of the species that the company had developed A-BIOMASS modules for.

Harvesting

Ace Aquatec has also successfully deployed an AI-powered surface camera, the A-HARVESTCAM, at harvesting sites in Scotland.

Using computer vision technology, the camera processes real-time images to detect fish, count individuals, and calculate their weight based on size recognition algorithms and advanced segmentation masks. This information is sent directly to the Ace Aquatec A-FISHIQ® portal, where farmers can access real-time data from multiple lines. 

Tangible improvements

Ace Aquatec chief executive Nathan Pyne-Carter said: “The developments in our AI offering for fish farmers demonstrates the breadth of opportunity across the globe to harness technology that not only improves efficiency across operations but brings welfare of farmed fish to the highest standards.

“Ace Aquatec was one of the first in the industry to bring an AI camera to market a decade ago and have achieved sustained development over the years with industry partners to create one of the most sophisticated and affordable systems in the market. 

“The results we’ve achieved speak for themselves and many of our customers are already seeing improvements across their farms in welfare, fish quality, and safety of staff on site. With the ability to monitor remotely across species and locations, our vast data sets will offer real-time information at every stage of the farming process.” 

Ace Aquatec designs and manufactures its systems from its head office and industrial premises in Dundee. The company, which will be exhibiting at the world’s most important fish farming trade show, Aqua Nor, in Trondheim next week, also has offices in Norway, Chile, and Canada, and distribution partners in key markets.