Feeding and water monitoring robot in aquaculture greenhouse

The purpose of this paper is to develop a robotic system to feed aquatic organisms and measure water physicochemical parameters in experimental aquaculture ponds.

A dispatcher unit dispenses a precise amount of food and control panel software schedules the tasks and operates the robot. In the control panel, the feeding and measuring schedule is defined and sent to the mobile robot and the amount of food is requested by the robot to the dispatcher for each pond. The robot travels automatically on a monorail to dispense the food and measure the water parameters. The data are transmitted to the control panel. The system can be remotely operated over the internet through a client‐server software framework.

The robotic system is a tool for delegating feeding and measuring tasks. This allows researchers and technicians time to focus on more substantive aquacultural research tasks.

Future improvement will include an automatic unit for cleaning sensors between ponds to minimize the risk of cross‐contamination.

The system systematized feeding and measuring tasks, minimized human error, and optimized the use of resources for aquacultural experimentation. The robotic system can be programmed for a variety of experimental conditions, such as the delivery of different diets at diverse schedules.

The proposed robot was tested for feeding freshwater redclaw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) and monitored the water parameters in real time. Based on the field results, the robotic system provided a reliable and robust device for aquacultural research applications.