Development of a Multifunctional Unmanned Boat Platform for Aquaculture Automation

To reduce labor costs in aquaculture and enhance the level of automated management, this study designed and developed a multifunctional unmanned boat platform (UBP) by integrating technologies such as sensors, satellite positioning, and artificial intelligence. The platform contains three major modules for data collection, underwater vision, and motion control, enabling functions like cruise path planning, water quality monitoring, identification of aquaculture products, and bait feeding. To verify its reliability and practicality, verification experiments were conducted in the aquaculture area of Lianyungang, China. The results show that the UBP can efficiently distribute feed to an area of 10,000 square meters within 20 min based on feeding points, outperforming the 47 min required for manual feeding. Over a two-month period, the weight of sea cucumbers raised by unmanned boats increased by 67.7% compared to those raised manually, with a 24.33% reduction in feed usage. Additionally, the unmanned boat reduced daily aquaculture costs from 225 RMB to 120.2 RMB, a total reduction of 46.7%. In conclusion, this platform reduces labor costs by improving aquaculture efficiency, and addresses limitations of the existing aquaculture feeding machinery in adaptability and real-time responsiveness, which can provide a feasible solution for aquaculture automation.