Revolutionizing aquaculture: How technologies from Remora Robotics and Com4 are transforming the future of fish farming

About Remora Robotics

Remora Robotics is a true offspring of an industry where Norway is a global leader, applying artificial intelligence and innovative machine technology to revolutionize some of the biggest challenges in the aquaculture industry. The Stavanger-based company, founded in 2016, has developed a unique robot for cleaning the pens (cages) where the fish swim. The robot is unique both in terms of how it cleans the pens and how it utilizes artificial intelligence to continuously improve. These solutions enhance fish health, reduce the environmental footprint, and increase profitability in an industry that is becoming increasingly crucial for global food security.

Challenges

Aquaculture is a significant and vital industry in Norway, as well as in several other countries. Salmon, cod, and other fish species live in cages along the coast. The pens have a net beneath the water surface to keep the fish in place. These nets require regular cleaning, including to allow oxygen-rich seawater to flow through. Until now, cleaning has been done manually using diesel-powered high-pressure cleaners: This method is costly, results in significant CO2 emissions, and compromises animal welfare, subsequently reducing fish production.

Solutions

Remora Robotics has developed what is essentially an underwater robot vacuum cleaner. The robots have power and communication cables from a box attached to a fence above the water. Cleaning the pens is a demanding task, especially due to the challenging conditions that require robust equipment and components. However, through the use of artificial intelligence, the robots are continuously improving.

Live video and other data are primarily transmitted via Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) from Com4, which is fixed broadband delivered over the mobile network. Routers are attached to the fence above the pens. FWA can deliver very high speeds and has virtually unlimited data capacity (up to 3TB). Both 4G and 5G networks are used, with speeds up to 500 Mbit/s. Data is sent to the cloud and used by Remora Robotics' operations center in Stavanger to enhance the algorithms in the software that powers the robots.