AI-Powered Fish-Farming Startup GoSmart Revolutionizes Aquaculture for Enhanced Efficiency and Sustainability

TL;DR:

  • GoSmart, an Israeli startup, leverages AI and machine learning to enhance efficiency and sustainability in fish farming.
  • Their compact autonomous systems, powered by NVIDIA Jetson, analyze fish populations, temperature, oxygen levels, and more.
  • The software-as-a-service provides real-time information to optimize feeding and harvesting decisions for fish farmers.
  • GoSmart’s collaboration with Skretting aims to expand sustainable fish production in southern Europe.
  • The company trains its systems to analyze fish behavior and detect disease indicators for comprehensive monitoring.
  • GoSmart’s technology can reduce fish feed consumption by up to 15% and accelerate fish growth, shortening the time to market.
  • The ultimate goal is the widespread adoption of GoSmart systems in the global aquaculture industry.

Main AI News:

In the vast expanse of the world’s oceans, marine biologist Josef Melchner once yearned to encounter magnificent creatures like dolphins, whales, and fish. However, his passion for making a tangible impact on the world led him to dive headfirst into the field of aquaculture. Today, Melchner is the visionary CEO of GoSmart, an Israeli startup that is harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to revolutionize fish farming practices, making them more efficient and sustainable.

As a prominent member of the NVIDIA Metropolis vision AI partner ecosystem and the NVIDIA Inception program for cutting-edge startups, GoSmart has emerged as a leader in providing fully autonomous, energy-efficient systems. Remarkably compact, about the size of a soda bottle, these systems can be effortlessly attached to aquaculture cages, ponds, or tanks. Powered by the NVIDIA Jetson platform for edge AI, these innovative systems diligently analyze various factors, including the average weight and distribution of fish populations, as well as crucial environmental indicators such as temperature and oxygen levels.

With real-time precision, GoSmart’s state-of-the-art software-as-a-service seamlessly delivers this vital information to fish farmers. By leveraging this invaluable data, farmers can make more accurate and efficient decisions regarding feeding schedules and harvesting strategies. In turn, this optimized approach not only boosts productivity but also significantly reduces costs, empowering farmers to make sustainable choices. “The parameters analyzed by GoSmart systems are pivotal in establishing an effective fish feed regime,” Melchner affirms. “By managing the optimal levels of fish feed, farmers can save substantial resources while minimizing organic waste in the aqua environment.”

GoSmart’s groundbreaking systems have already found a trusted partner in Skretting, a global leader in fish feed production. Collaborating with Skretting, GoSmart is actively supporting the expansion of sustainable fish production across eight countries in southern Europe, offering farmers personalized and digitized information. By combining cutting-edge technology with a steadfast commitment to sustainability, GoSmart is paving the way for a brighter future in aquaculture.

Founded in 2020, GoSmart’s unwavering focus on fish farming stems from its mission to address the environmental challenges faced by our planet. Melchner emphasizes, “The world is grappling with a protein deficiency, yet marine protein is predominantly sourced through traditional methods involving fishing nets and long lines. While other sources of protein, such as livestock, are typically farmed, nearly half of the marine production still relies on wildlife.” The detrimental consequences of overfishing on our planet cannot be understated. “This critical issue has far-reaching implications,” warns Melchner. “Algae, a vital carbon sink, absorbs carbon from the atmosphere and releases oxygen. Overfishing directly affects the delicate balance of algae levels in the ocean.

Recognizing the urgency of these challenges, Melchner has dedicated his life’s work to revolutionizing aquaculture through GoSmart’s innovative solutions. Leveraging lithium-ion batteries charged by solar panels, GoSmart systems boast their own power-management software, enabling them to autonomously enter sleep mode, shut down, wake up, and carry out tasks as required. These highly efficient systems, equipped with sensors, cameras, and NVIDIA Jetson modules, harness the power of AI at the edge to analyze critical environmental factors impacting fish feeding, growth, health, and welfare. Furthermore, they effectively identify and address environmental pollution caused by inefficient or inaccurate operations, mitigating the dispersion of excessive organic matter in water.

GoSmart’s unwavering commitment to excellence led them to choose the Jetson series as their AI processor of choice. “We sought the most superior AI processor with exceptional performance, compactness, and submersible capabilities while remaining affordable for fish farmers,” explains Melchner. However, GoSmart’s innovation does not stop there. The company is presently training its systems to analyze fish behavior and detect disease indicators, further enhancing its capabilities beyond weight analysis, population distribution, temperature, and oxygen level assessment. Thanks to Jetson’s ability to execute multiple AI algorithms simultaneously and in real time, these crucial aspects can be accurately analyzed, empowering fish farmers to make informed decisions promptly.

Ever on the lookout for cutting-edge advancements, GoSmart is also evaluating the powerful new Jetson Orin lineup of modules. With these enhancements, GoSmart aspires to elevate its systems to unprecedented levels of performance and efficiency. To train their AI algorithms, the GoSmart team meticulously measured thousands of fish manually before deploying cameras to analyze millions more. Melchner fondly recalls, “It involved countless dives and extensive underwater experiments.”

In pursuit of high-performance deep learning inference, GoSmart is actively exploring the utilization of the NVIDIA TensorRT software development kit and the open-source NVIDIA Triton Inference Server software. As a proud member of the NVIDIA Metropolis and Inception programs, GoSmart benefits from close collaboration with NVIDIA engineers, continuously integrating the latest-generation technologies into their solutions. “These advancements will undoubtedly accelerate the speed and efficiency of our algorithms,” affirms Melchner.

The impact of GoSmart’s groundbreaking technology is already evident, with fish farmers experiencing remarkable results. Melchner proudly states, “GoSmart has the potential to reduce fish feed consumption by up to 15%. In certain cases, our technology has also expedited fish growth and significantly shortened time to market by an entire month.”

With a relentless drive to transform the aquaculture landscape, Melchner envisions a future where every cage, pond, and tank worldwide is equipped with GoSmart systems. The company’s ultimate goal is to provide comprehensive coverage of the aquaculture industry. Looking ahead, GoSmart aims to integrate AI models that can analyze fish behavior and detect diseases, while also developing an autonomous feeding barge capable of providing fish with precise amounts of food exactly when they need it. By harnessing the full potential of AI, GoSmart is spearheading a tidal wave of possibilities in sustainable fish farming.

Conclusion:

GoSmart’s AI-driven solutions offer a paradigm shift in the fish farming market, bringing efficiency and sustainability to the forefront. By providing real-time data and optimization capabilities, GoSmart empowers fish farmers to make informed decisions, reducing costs and minimizing environmental impact. With the potential to revolutionize aquaculture practices, GoSmart is poised to lead the industry toward a more sustainable future.

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