Why Has Norway Deployed 3,500 Laser-Armed AI Submarine Robots Underwater

Norwegian salmon farmers are using laser-armed, AI-guided submarines to kill sea lice around the country's coastline. Oslo-based Stingray Marine Solutions in its annual report, revealed that more than 3,500 units of these submarines are now operational, protecting over 112 million fish. The technology's adoption has increased in the past year, with over 1,000 deployments, making it one of the largest commercial AI rollouts in the region.

Sea lice are tiny parasitic crustaceans and a major challenge for the fishing industry. The technology involves using AI to spot sea lice and zap them with a laser so that the farmers do not have to pass the salmon through chemical baths. Stingray claims this method improves growth and welfare, while cleaner fish show lower mortality.

Chemical treatments can treat many fish at once, but they can harm the environment and stress the fish. Lice can also develop resistance, which increases the risk of toxins in food production, according to a report in Tom's Hardware.

The robots now guard an estimated 20 to 25 per cent of farmed salmon in Norway, according to John Arne Breivik, CEO of Stingray.

"Our Fish Health Hub with laser-based sea lice control already monitors and protects 20-25 per cent of farmed salmon in Norway, contributing to lower lice levels, fewer handling-based treatments, improved fish welfare, and reduced mortality at sea," he said.

In a LinkedIn post, the company shared the system at work in a salmon pen, with the AI identifying and targeting lice.

Check The Post Here:

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Breivik highlighted that his company livestreams data from about 15,000 cameras, around the clock from the Norwegian coast, enabling rapid and continuous system improvement.

The method, however, has its drawbacks. Farmers might be apprehensive of the up-front cost of deployment. The system may also work best as a preventive tool that keeps local lice numbers low, since its range is limited to the pens where it is deployed. Lice can gather in darker, murkier corners and outside the patrol area.