WO2018154553A2

WO2018154553A2 - Modular mesh based on sensors for fish counting

Info

Publication number: WO2018154553A2
Application number: PCT/IB2018/053830
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yessica Lisbeth SAEZ BARRIOS; Héctor Rodrigo ROSALES MARTÍNEZ; Bolivar Alberto JAEN LARA; Roberto Ángel HERNÁNDEZ MORENO
Original assignee: Universidad Tecnológica De Panamá
Priority date: 2018-05-16
Filing date: 2018-05-30
Publication date: 2018-08-30
Also published as: WO2018154553A3

Abstract

The invention consists of a device for fish counting at different growth stages, in tanks of different sizes and shapes. This device is formed by a modular mesh being adaptable to different tank sized. This mesh comprises a great number of windows and can perform a linear or circular movement, depending on the tank shape. There are ultrasound sensors in each window recording and communicating to a central station every time a fish passes through the window, thus counting the number of fish.

Description

MODULAR MESH BASED ON SENSORS FOR FISH COUNTING

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION This invention refers to an apparatus for fish counting, specifically a modular device being adaptable to several tank sizes for counting fish at different growth stages.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Obtaining an updated count of the total number of fish in a fish facility is an essential task performed by human technicians who manually extract the animals with the help of small fishing nets. This manual counting process requires a significant amount of time and is prone to mistakes. Furthermore, handling the animals for counting thereof leads to a significant stress, with all the harmful consequences that may be caused to the fish and, therefore, affect to the scientific experiments which they are involved in.

Patent US8651057B1 describes a photographic counter for photographing, counting and recording the date and time of any small aquatic animal passing therethrough, including invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles and small mammals, using an aquatic animal passage system, in clear or turbid water storage dams. A drawback associated to this type of devices for fish counting is that, although these solve the problem of the manual capture, the photographs taken in turbid water may not be clear, interfering with the animal identification and body size estimations, which directly affects counting thereof.

Other devices use optical infrared light scanners. The beams emitted by these devices may also be affected by water turbidity, since they may be attenuated and not be detected, thus affecting the scanner operation and the accurate counting of the amount of fish passing through an area. These devices are not designed for quantifying different sizes of fish, as they generally require the fish to be of a regular size, since they often require the fish to swim or move beyond a detector or sensor in a pipe or channel. Therefore, there is an obvious need for a type of counter being substantially different for counting fish of different size and which can be adapted to different tank sizes, where water turbidity is not a limiting factor.

Unlike the inventions found when searching in the previous art, our invention allows realizing a fish counting in water bodies, since optical sensors are not employed, the performance of which are affected by the water turbidity.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention refers to a device for counting fish in the water, being either transparent or turbid, by means of a modular mesh capable of adapting to different tank sizes and shapes. This mesh comprises a great number of windows being adjustable to different fish sizes. The mesh is capable of performing a sweeping motion (either linear or circular, depending on the tank shape). As the mesh moves, the fish (which are somehow stimulated: lights, food, sound) progressively pass through the windows. There are sensors in each window, for example, ultrasound ones that record and communicate to a central station each time a fish goes through the window. Fish must only be able to pass through the windows in a single direction.

With the device of the present invention, the time and human effort is reduced in the fish counting in tank facilities.

Thus, an aspect of the invention, hereinafter "fish counting device", refers to a device for fish counting at different growth stages in a water tank characterized in that it comprises: - a modular mesh adapted to the size and shape of the tank that in turn comprises:

o a linear or circular motion system depending on the tank shape; and

o windows being adjustable to the fish size, where each window comprises a sensor, preferably an ultrasonic one, that records and communicates data to a central station; and

- a system for stimulating the fish movement in one direction, for example by means of sound, food or lightning.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fish counting device also comprises a connector that allows feeding the electric circuits of the modular mesh. According to another preferred embodiment, said device also comprises a control sub-module that allows interconnecting the central station with the sensors.

Preferably, the mesh motion system comprises rails and bearings for a linear movement or a central axis for a circular movement. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG.1 shows a side view of the fish counting module.

FIG.2 shows a side view of the exchangeable meshes for adjusting the size of the fish to be quantified.

FIG.3 shows a side view of the device inside a water tank.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of possible interconnections of the fish counting modules.

FIG.5 shows a side view of one of the windows having fish counting sensors. FIG.6 shows a side view of the device operating in a circular tank. PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The following is a description of a preferred embodiment of the invention based on the attached figures.

FIG.1 shows a fish counting module (1 ) capable of recording, automatically, the number of fish passing therethrough. It has modularity characteristics with the purpose of interconnecting to other modules and thus adapting to different tank dimensions and shapes. The structure (2) of the module is made of an insulating type material that allows insulating the different electric connection comprising: it also has a connector (3) that allows energizing the electric circuits and obtaining the recorded counting data. Each counting module (1 ), comprises several windows (4) capable of counting the fish when these go therethrough, by using ultrasound sensors (4a) installed in each of the windows. In order to determine the maximum size of the fish intended to be counted, interchangeable meshes (5) are used having different sizes and which can be embedded into the fish counting module. The device can be adapted to multiple tank relieves, by using fins (6a, 6b, 6c) placed at the side and bottom ends of the structure (2). In order to perform data control and record, the device of the invention uses a control sub-module (7), receiving the data from each ultrasound sensor (4a) located at each window (4) of the fish counting module (1 ), by means of a power and data communication cable (8). This control sub-module (7) is interconnected with a computer so as to send the collected data thereto.

FIG. 2 shows some interchangeable mesh (5) models. These mesh models (5a, 5b, 5c) may have several window sizes (9a, 9b, 9c) according to the maximum size of the fish intended to be counted. FIG.3 shows a fish counting module (1 ) working inside a tank (10). In this application the device moves through the tank using a rail (1 1 a) and bearings (1 1 b) system. The fish are forced to pass from one end of the tank to the other, through each window (4) of the counting module (1 ).

FIG. 4 shows one of the windows with fish counting sensors. Each window (4) is provided with an ultrasound sensor (4a) that sends an ultrasound wave being reflected by each fish passing through the window, and thus its passage therethrough is computed. These windows (4) are electrically interconnected by means of pipelines (12), embedded in the structure of the device (1 ).

FIG. 5 shows possible interconnections of the fish counting modules 1 . These modules (1 ), can be interconnected in several ways: one next to the other (13a) and also one above the other (13b). In this way, the coverage area may be widened both horizontally and vertically, so as to satisfy several sizes of the water bodies.

FIG. 6 shows a circular tank. It shows the fish counting module (1 ) working in a circular-shaped tank (14). A central axis (15) allows the module (1 ) to move in a circular movement. The retaining wall (16) is used so as not to allow double counting of the fish.

Claims

1 . A device for fish counting at different growth stages in a water tank characterized in that it comprises:

- a modular mesh adapted to the size and shape of the tank that in turn comprises:

o a linear or circular motion system depending on the tank shape; and

o windows being adjustable to the fish size, where each window comprises a sensor that records and communicates data to a central station; and

- a system for stimulating the fish movement in one direction.

2. Device according to claim 1 , where the sensors are ultrasonic ones.

3. Device according to claim 1 , where the device also comprises a connector that allows energizing the electric circuits of the modular mesh.

4. Device according to claim 1 , where the device also comprises a control sub-module that allows interconnecting the central station with the sensors.

5. Device according to claim 1 , where the motion system of the mesh comprises rails and bearings for a linear movement or a central axis for a circular movement.