Hybrid aerial/underwater robotics system for scalable and adaptable maintenance of aquaculture fish farms

US11150658B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Florida Atlantic University Board of Trustees · US

Inventors

• Bing Ouyang · Vero Beach, US
• Paul Wills · Vero Beach, US
• Jason O. Hallstrom · Boca Raton, US
• Tsung-Chow Su · Boca Raton, US
• Martin Riche · Fort Pierce, US
• Peter Reiff · Murphysboro, US
• Yufei Tang · Huizhou, CN

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 6, 2020
• Grant date: Oct 19, 2021
• Expiry date: Apr 18, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02T90/12
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

Systems and methods for operating a HAUCS sensing platform. The methods comprise: autonomous travel by a UAAV to a first location in proximity to a body of water (“BoW”) in accordance with a mission plan; actuating a mechanical device to transition a sensor from a retracted position in which the sensor is adjacent to a UAAV to an extended position in which the sensor resides a given distance from a UAAV; collect, by HAUCS sensing platform and sensor, sensor data concerning a water condition of BoW at different depths; actuating the mechanical device to transition the sensor from the extended position to the retracted position after the sensor data has been collected; causing the sensor data to be processed using a machine learning-based analytical engine to determine whether a water distress condition exists/is predicted to occur; and modifying the mission plan when the water distress condition exists/is predicted to occur.