An updated camera-only Riverwatcher is another exciting development at
VAKI. „We now have three versions of Riverwatchers,“ said Magnus. „We
started with an infrared scanner, then added a camera where a scanner
would trigger the camera.“ The third version is a camera-only
Riverwatcher where it detects the fish with a 3D camera (two lenses) and
can measure the size of the fish as well. „The camera can do so much
more,“ said Magnus. „We can teach the camera to analyze the image,
check the conditions of the fish, the species, and it can auto-categorize
the fish.“ Biologists would categorize the fish manually before this
technology was created. In a river where you might have 20 to 40
different species of fish, having it automated is a great value for
customers. „For the majority of the fish, it would be able to categorize
90% of the fish very accurately,“ he said. „For most rivers using this unit,
the scientist would only need to go through 10% (rare species) and get a
folder of unknowns instead of all the fish species.“
VAKI is constantly looking at ways to add value for customers using the
Riverwatcher. „We are just starting to explore the possibilities of A.I.,
„ said Magnus. „This is the same technology that is being developed and
used in many other industries. Here in Iceland, and some other countries
that have fish farming in proximity to natural rivers, this could be very
beneficial. We would be able see if it‘s a farmed fish or a wild fish.“ This is
important as scientists would be able to see if there are escapees from
the fish farms and if they are a big threat to the ecosystem. „If it is found
that the escapees are a problem, it could trigger some kind of action,“ he
said. „This could be an exciting development for the industry and it‘s
something VAKI is exploring.“

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