EP4068953A1

EP4068953A1 - Fish counting machine and system

Info

Publication number: EP4068953A1
Application number: EP20895243.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ali BARAN; Onur Sahin; Riza DONMEZ; Ahad AGHAPOUR; Hatice BUKEN; Derya TURAN; Muhammed Vuslat OZEL
Original assignee: Yonga Teknoloji Mikroelektronik Arge Tic Ltd Sti
Current assignee: Yonga Teknoloji Mikroelektronik Arge Tic Ltd Sti
Priority date: 2019-12-03
Filing date: 2020-11-30
Publication date: 2022-10-12
Also published as: WO2021112798A1; EP4068953A4

Abstract

The present invention relates to fish counting machine and system which becomes prominent thanks to the reporting and archiving characteristics and precise fish counting by means of detection through line scanning camera (K) in a real-time manner by using machine learning and deep learning and the morphological characteristics of fishes, in all areas where fish counting must be realized, primarily in fish firms, fish production plants and fish sales areas.

Description

FISH COUNTING MACHINE AND SYSTEM

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to fish counting machine and system which becomes prominent thanks to the reporting and archiving characteristics and precise fish counting by means of detection through line scanning camera in a real-time manner by using machine learning and deep learning and the morphological characteristics of fishes, in all areas where fish counting must be realized, primarily in fish firms, fish production plants and fish sales areas.

KNOWN STATE OF THE ART

Fishes are vertebrate animals which are poikilothermic and which nearly completely only live in water and which make respiration by means of gills and which are cold-blooded and which have double-chambered hearts and which have nearly completely scaled body and which generally reproduce with eggs.

Fish is a low-oil including food which has high protein and which has various advantages for health. Particularly the oil proportion of white meaty fishes is lower than the oil proportion of other animal protein sources. The oily fishes have higher proportion of omega-3 oil acid, in other words, they have higher proportion of good oil. Heart attacks are at the first among the death reasons in the world.

Consuming fish regularly is one of the best ways for protecting heart health in accordance with American Heart Organization which recommends consuming fish at least 2 times per week. Various studies made on fish consumption and heart health until today have shown that regular fish consumption decreases heart attack and paralysis risk. Consuming fish regularly once per week decreases heart disease risk by 15% on average. Experts mention that preference of oily fishes with the omega-3 oil acid is more effective.

Omega-3 oil acids of oily fishes like salmon provide an important base for the normal development of brains of babies. Experts recommend fish consumption at least 2 times per week for providing contribution to the eye and brain development of babies and for pregnant women and for nursing mothers. The researches made also show that insufficient omega-3 consumption has unfavorable effects on eye development in babies.

Brain functions begin to deteriorate with ageing. This condition known as cognitive regression is a normal process of ageing. However, serious diseases like Alzheimer may occur in this process.

The studies made on fish consumption and brain health show that the cognitive regression depending on age is slower as fish consumption increases. This condition is associated with the gray substance which exists in the brain.

There are studies which show that the gray substance in the brain, which is a basic functional tissue, is greater in persons who consume fish.

Depression, which is one of the most frequent spiritual problems today, leads to the person being more insensible, having lower energy and being sadder.

After the heart diseases and obesity which threaten the world, depression is one of the biggest health problems in the world. Experts mention that regular fish consumption decreases depression risk.

Omega-3 oil acid of fish and particularly oily fish can be effective in the fight with depression and moreover, it also increases the efficiency of depression treatment drugs.

Vitamin D which functions as happiness hormone in the body is a vitamin which is frequently lacking in the public particularly in winter. Vitamin D does not exist much in food but fish is a good vitamin D source. Particularly oily fishes like salmon are substantially rich in terms of vitamin D.

A portion of grilled salmon nearly meets all of your daily need for vitamin D.

The destruction of healthy tissues in the body may lead to some auto-immune diseases like diabetes. The studies made shows that fish consumption is substantially important for decreasing type 1 diabetes risk in children. The researches show that fish is also important for the other immune system diseases like MS disease. Some problems occur in eye health as a result of ageing. The studies made on eye diseases and feeding show that the omega-3 oil acid of fish provides protection against various eye diseases.

Sleep disorders are one of the biggest problems of modern life. The studies made on sleep disorders show that vitamin D insufficiency may play a role on sleep disorders.

Consumption of oily fishes like salmon regularly 2-3 times per week and increase of daily consumed vitamin D increase both sleeping quality and life quality.

Because of the abovementioned basic advantages and reasons, fish consumption takes an important place in the food chain of today. Within this context, since our country is encircled by seas from four sides, it is a substantially rich country in terms of fish production and consumption. Within this context, fish is produced also in fish firms for providing fishing in seas in a controlled manner and particularly for meeting the need for trout.

In such production, it is substantially difficult to realize counting and number controls since tagging of fishes is not possible in the related places and in fish wholesale areas. Within this context, workers realize this counting process manually. However, this process leads to effort and time loss.

For meeting the abovementioned need, fish counting machines have been developed. One of these fish counting machines is the patent with application number DK 3143559 (T3) and which belongs to the company Vaki Fiskeldiskerfi Hf. Even though a fish counting machine and the operation principle thereof have been described in this application, the most basic deficiency of this study is that said machine cannot realize archiving and reporting. Thus, since the information cannot be stored and the reports cannot be taken afterwards, the fishes are counted again in case of an error, and comparison with the prior counts cannot be realized. Said invention with number DK 3143559 (T3) which belongs to the company Vaki describes a method for controlling the concentration of viable organisms which exist in fluid for facilitating carrying of organisms with functions like graduation and counting, and a device which realizes this function. Said apparatus comprises a feeding channel for the viable organism flow in the fluid (1), a second feeding channel related to the fluid (2) flow and a chamber (4) for the arrangement of the counted organism. The abstract describes that the organism, which goes to the outlet (15) through the first and second feeding channel, is counted by means of a computer, and here, a sensor (9) is placed to the first feeding channel for detecting the density of the viable organism therein. As can also be understood from the abstract, the related mechanism cannot realize an instantaneous archiving and reporting.

In the file with number CN208459234 (U), biological counting is described which passes through the fluid. However, in the related mechanism, counting processes are realized in the same manner, but learning cannot be realized and therefore, it is close to manual usage and at the same time, it cannot realize archiving and reporting.

The present systems cannot meet the basic requirements as mentioned below and include the problems mentioned below;

• Error proportions of equivalent products are high.

• Calibration is substantially needed by the user. User errors were occurring during calibration. The companies which have similar solution in the world cannot give technical support to Turkey.

DEFINITION OF THE INVENTION

Said invention eliminates the disadvantages described in the known state of the art and meets the needs.

Said invention relates to a fish counting machine which becomes prominent thanks to the reporting and archiving characteristics and precise fish counting by means of detection through line scanning camera in a real-time manner by using machine learning and deep learning and the morphological characteristics of fishes, in all areas where fish counting must be realized, primarily in fish firms, fish production plants and fish sales areas.

In said invention, camera and illumination placement angles are changed mechanically. The length, angle (radius) and width of the machine have been designed for solving the problems. All corners in the system which the fishes contact are designed in a chamfered form.

New machine learning methods have been used for making the error proportion independent from the fish and fish dimension in software. The block diagram of the software has been shown in Figure 1.

The basic advantages of the present invention can be described as follows:

• Easy installation and usage.

• Prevention of the probable user errors. • Correct counting and correct result.

• Usage of machine learning methods.

• Reporting and archiving of the results and transferring of the results through the lot.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

1. Machine body

2. Tank

3. Channels

4. Camera and illumination unit

5. Water/fish discharge part

K Camera

A. Intermediate memory capturing array

GA. Image analysis

G. Image

M. Median

GB. Image combining . Periphery scanning

MH. Morphological calculation characteristic

T. Estimation characteristic

GKA. Graphical user interface

S. Result

SY. Result capturing

SA. Result analysis

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In Figure 1 , a representative general view of the block diagram of said system is given.

In Figure 2, a representative general lateral view of said invention is given.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a fish counting machine comprising:

• Machine body (1 ) which is the chassis of the whole system,

• Tank (2) where water is received and where excessive water is discharged and which is the inlet area of the system, • Channels (3) provided between the illumination unit (4) and the camera where counting process is realized and the tank (2) and which comprises guide paths for fishes,

• Camera and illumination unit (4) which is the area where the cameras (K) and the illumination units, providing the required luminous medium for taking the images (G) of the fishes by the camera, are existing,

• Water/fish discharge part (5) which forms the outlet of the system and which provides transfer of the water and the fishes, which remain in the system, to another desired medium.

In said invention, the system essentially operates by passing and counting of the water and fishes, transferred to the tank (2) provided on the machine body (1), through the camera and illumination unit (4) via channels (3) after the water and fishes enter to the system, and by discharging the counted fishes through the water/fish discharge part (5).

For the operation of the system, the machine body (1) must be placed on a straight and robust floor.

The height of the system from the floor must be adjusted such that the passages of water and fishes through the channels (3) are equal by means of the feet of the machine body (1).

The machine body (1) must be positioned such that user accesses to the touch-panel freely and comfortably and such that no exposure to sun occurs. High temperatures may damage the computer.

After the system is operated, water and fishes begin to enter to the tank (2) by means of pumps. Since excessive accumulation of the water and fishes in the tank (2) will affect the counting process in an unfavorable manner, the speed of the pump must be correctly adjusted. The water and fishes, provided in the tank (2), advance towards the camera and the illumination unit (4), where counting will be realized, by means of channels (3). The cameras transfer the image (G) scanned in line form in the camera and illumination unit (4) where the required illumination is provided to the cameras, and provide realization of the counting process by the software. The water and fishes which leave the camera and illumination unit (4) leave the system in the desired direction through the water/fish discharge part (5). Therefore, the front of the water/fish discharge part (5) must not be blocked and must not be subjected to obstacle. Since the inverse pressure, which may occur at the pumps, may lead to overloading to the system, water and fish provision should be ensured by means of the free flow of the system.

In said invention, the operation of the system is as follows;

1 . Power is given to the fish counting machine through UPS. (The power feeding of the counting machine must be realized through UPS. The grounding connections of the network must not be deficient and must be compliant to the international standards.)

2. After power is applied to the system, the system will be completely turned on within 2 minutes at the latest. As the system is turned on, the counting program will also be turned on and will take its place on the screen.

3. Water must be given to the system by realizing the required connections for discharging excessive water by means of the pump. The pump speed must be between 27-30 br. In case the given water is excessive, the required connections must be realized for removing the excessive water from under the main body. For being able to control the water which is to be discharged, it is recommended that a valve is fixed under the main body.

4. In the turned on fish counting program, the program is started by pressing the “start” button. After starting of the program, together with discharging of the excessive water, only water is passed through the machine. Here, it must be checked that the excessive water is removed from under the body and the program does not realize any counting by means of the effect of water.

5. In order to ensure that the program is ready for counting fish and does not have water effect, it is checked in GUI that the “frame count” number increases and the fish number does not increase.

6. The system is ready for counting fishes. The fishes can be sent in a compliant manner to the capacity of the machine.

The explanation of the diagram seen in Figure 1 ;

After the images (G), scanned by the cameras (the camera and illumination unit (4)), are passed through the median filter (M), the image is combined (GB) in the system and is sent for image analysis (GA) to the image (G) processing algorithm.

The algorithm analyzes the coming photograph and finds the contours and separates the fishes from the background by means of morphological calculation characteristic (MH), and the pre-trained dataset is based on, and separates to numerical classes by the machine learning algorithm. The fish images separated to the numerical class estimates the number of fishes in the examined region (estimation characteristic (T)) and adds this number to the total fish number. By means of machine learning, the number of fishes corresponding one on the other and side by side is decomposed, and the result is obtained in total number which is closest to the real value. The total number of fishes is displayed to the user through screens and the whole total is shown to user at the end of counting.

In the system, camera systems using line scanning is used. Thus, the fish passing through the scanner is counted once.

In the invention, operation by using the image (G) mode or the real-time mode directly by means of camera is possible.

Claims

1. The present invention is a fish counting system wherein the following steps are provided:

• After the images (G), scanned by the cameras (K) (the camera and illumination unit (4)), are passed through the median filter (M), the image is combined (GB) in the system and is sent for image analysis (GA) to the image (G) processing algorithm in parts,

• The algorithm analyzes the coming photograph and finds the contours and separates the fishes from the background by means of “morphological calculation characteristic” (MH), and the pre-trained dataset is based on, and separates to numerical classes by the machine learning algorithm,

• The fish images separated to the numerical class estimates the number of fishes in the examined region (estimation characteristic (T)) and adds this number to the total fish number,

• By means of machine learning, the number of fishes corresponding one on the other and side by side is decomposed, and the result is obtained in total number which is closest to the real value,

• Displaying the total fish number to the user through screens and displaying the whole total to the users at the end of counting.

2. The fish counting system according to claim 1 , wherein the system realizes counting process by instantaneously transferring the image (G), scanned in line form in the camera and illumination unit (4) where illumination is provided for the cameras, to the computer.

3. The fish counting machine mentioned in the invention, wherein a camera is used which realizes linear scanning.

4. The fish counting system according to claim 1 , wherein counting can be realized in real-time mode or by using image (G) mode directly by means of camera.