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Success in Automated Measurement of Farmed Red Seabream Using Ultrasonic Underwater Visualization Technology
-Measurement within an Average Error of 10% Even in Swell and Boggy Waters-

NTT Communications Corporation (“NTT Com”) and AquaFusion Corporation (“AquaFusion”) have successfully conducted a demonstration experiment to automatically measure the number of cultured sea bream using “MagicCounter” (hereinafter referred to as the “System”), which uses ultrasonic underwater visualization technology (FINE Technology)*1 and counts fish in a fish tank.
(hereinafter referred to as “AquaFusion”) have successfully conducted a demonstration experiment to automatically measure the number of cultured red sea bream using “MagicCounter” (hereinafter referred to as “this system”), which counts fish in a fish tank, utilizing ultrasonic underwater visualization technology (FINE Technology*1).

１．Background
　The number of companies and organizations operating aquaculture fisheries in Japan is on the decline, and in the case of sea bream farming, which accounts for about 25% of the nation’s fish farming production, it is only one-third of its peak. On the other hand, since the amount of aquaculture production has remained almost unchanged
The amount of aquaculture production per company or organization continues to increase, and more efficient aquaculture management through the use of ICT technology is required. In the aquaculture fishery, in order to maintain the appropriate density of farmed fish in the fish tank, a process called “partial feeding” is performed when the farmed fish grow up.
In order to maintain the density of fish in the fish tank at a suitable level for growth, it is necessary to ensure that the scheduled number of fish is fed.
　However, there is a limit to visually grasping the number of fish to be moved, and it is not always possible to accurately feed the planned number of fish.
However, there are limitations to visually monitoring the number of fish being moved, and the inability to accurately stock the planned number of fish has been one of the major challenges in the aquaculture industry.
　To solve this problem, experiments have been conducted using underwater cameras to measure the number of fish in real time during the stocking process, but it was difficult to accurately measure the number of fish due to the overlapping of fish and the effects of the underwater environment.
In 2019, NTT Com and Aqua Fusion will use the sea bream aquaculture site at Yasutaka Suisan as a demonstration field to automatically measure the number of farmed fish using ultrasonic waves.
In March 2021, the two companies entered into a business alliance in the field of smart fisheries to establish a new aquaculture management model utilizing ultrasonic underwater visualization technology.　
　In March 2021, the two companies entered into a business alliance in the field of smart fisheries to establish a new model for aquaculture management that utilizes ultrasonic underwater visualization technology.

２．Outline and Features of this System
　This system is designed to count the number of fish that pass through a fish passageway (frame) between fish tanks during fish culture, and to check the number of fish passing through the passage in real time at sea.
The system uses Aqua Fusion’s patented “FINE Technology” (high frequency ultrasonic transmission sensor and ultrasonic wave receiver) to measure the number of individual fish in the ocean, while the underwater camera used in the past to measure individual fish in aquaculture has measured individual fish by video images.
(high-frequency ultrasonic transmission sensor and fish identification algorithm), this system is not affected by water quality and can accurately identify and count the number of individual fish even when fish are crowded together.
In addition, a new patent-pending technology*2 makes it possible to accurately estimate the total number of fish passing through the area, including unmeasured areas (patent pending: JP-A 2022-189848).
　The current measurement error is within an average of approximately 10%, which is accurate enough for conducting stock management.

＜How this system works>

３．Role of both companies
　NTT Com: Consulting for implementation and basic study of this system
　Aqua Fusion: Basic study of the system, development and manufacturing, implementation and after-sales support

４．Future Initiatives
The two companies will work together to promote DX in the fisheries industry by adapting this system to other fish farming, and will also work on further technological innovations, such as the development of a system to detect fish that are running the wrong way down fishways.
The two companies will also link this system with the “Aquaculture Management Cloud*3” to promote more efficient and sophisticated feeding, and take on the challenge of further DX in the fisheries industry, thereby contributing to the development of Japan’s fisheries industry and the revitalization of local economies.

*1 The ultrasonic underwater visualization technology (FINE Technology) is a patented technology owned by Aquafusion that can identify individual fish by automatically analyzing the response of ultrasonic waves transmitted at high frequencies.
*2 The newly patent-pending technology is Aqua Fusion’s proprietary technology that can estimate the measurement area corresponding to individual fish identification, predict the overall number of fish passing through with high accuracy, and detect the direction in which fish are moving.
*3 Aquaculture Management Cloud is a service that centrally manages ocean observation data such as water temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen concentration, as well as feeding records, growth records, and the number of fish that have survived, in the cloud.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

■For more information about MagicCounter, please contact
Mail:：info@aquafusion.jp
HP： https://aquafusion.jp