b'10 Partner News Autumn 2022AcademicAdvanced precision aquaculture system in operationBy University of BedfordshireUnder a recently completed project named,Although China is the largest contributor Aquaculture 4.0: Advancing Digital Precisionby far in terms of volume, the efficiency at Aquaculture in China, the aim is to advancewhich the food is produced is extremely low aquaculture towards Aquaculture 4.0aand often resulting in high labour intensity, highly connected and automated cyber- high consumption of energy and water and physical system using digital technologiessevere environmental pollution. which will help contribute towards Chinas goal of automating and industrialising theirThe Aquaculture 4.0 initiative aims to drive aquaculture industry.a digital transformation of traditional, extensive farming towards modern precision In other words, a remote network offarming to help improve efficiency and yield wirelessly connected sensor packagesto meet the protein requirements of an for monitoring water quality conditions,Figure 1: The sensor cabinet at Harper Adams, UK.expanding population, whilst reducing the allowing farm operators to make informedindustrys environmental footprint. management and agriculture decisions in real time, and support automated systemsThe project has seen the design and such as feeding.installation of a multiparameter cabinet system equipped with an advanced sensor The project was achieved by bringingsuite and 5G wireless connectivity. The together state-of-the-art sensors, 5G IoTdata visualisation and operational control is connectivity and big data analytics into oneavailable through a dedicated, cloud-based integrated package.software. Figure 2: ADPAC team at the installation of the cabinet at As experts in cutting-edge water monitoringShuttleworth College, UK. The system has been installed in two sensors, the project was led by Chelsealocations in the UK, Harper Adams Technology Group, and was made possibleThe University of Bedfordshire also supportedUniversity and Shuttleworth College. by the Newton Fund, who delivered supportthe project by developing multivariate modelsContinuous communication and through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI),for timeseries data analysis, and the Universitycollaboration between UK and Chinese Biotechnology and Biological Scienceof Surrey added the support of 5G by usingpartners have helped to foster relationships Research Council (BBSRC) and boughttheir state-of-the-art facilities. between the participating organisations, together by colleagues from industry andand we are proud to be contributing academia in the UK and China.This project was specifically focussed ontowards Chinas goal of automating and the rapidly growing aquaculture industryindustrialising their aquaculture industry. They were backed by the Perceptivein China where, in 2016, aquaculture Engineering Group, who provided a stableproduction reached 49m tonnes and online solution using edge technology andaccounted for 61.5% of the worlds food fish cloud computing.production from aquaculture.'