Drones in the sea can make for smarter, more efficient fish farming.
That's the premise behind SeaDrone, an underwater robot from startup O-Robotix.
Right now, farmers rely on commercially-trained divers to inspect fish raised on their farms. The divers are expensive (farmers have to employ at least two at a time for safety reasons) and have to record information on paper, which farm managers then have to transcribe.
The drones -- which weigh just 5 kilograms -- are able to capture stable video footage and include sensors that can test for things like pressure, temperature and leaks. They contain a digital logbook so farmers can digitize their operations. The drones can be controlled via tablet and by nonspecialists.
There's a big market, since 50% of the fish that people consume are raised on farms, according to O-Robotix cofounder O-Robotix Eduardo Moreno.
