Aquaculture, a rapidly growing global food sector, supplies nearly half of the world's consumed fish. In Europe, it contributes less than 20% to total fish production, yet sustains 91,000 jobs. Particularly vital in the Atlantic Area and remote rural regions, there is potential for improvement, especially through offshore and ocean aquaculture. This project focuses on Precision Fish Farming (PFF) to enhance offshore aquaculture. Objectives include improving accuracy, enabling autonomous monitoring, providing reliable decision support, and reducing manual labor dependencies for staff safety. The shift offshore minimizes contamination of the benthic ecosystem. The project employs remote monitoring technology, utilizing autonomous aerial vehicles and remote sensing. It addresses key variables affecting fish farms, such as weather, water currents, and pollutants. Notably, wave monitoring, algal bloom monitoring, and meteorological monitoring are incorporated for better farm management. Wave monitoring aids fisheries, offshore aquaculture, and coastal studies, utilizing a cost-effective video-monitoring system. Algal bloom monitoring is crucial for timely intervention to prevent economic losses. Continuous meteorological monitoring informs farm management decisions. Introducing port monitoring as a novel concept, the project recognizes its relevance in the maritime sector. The integrated tool proposed for real-time monitoring and surveillance of ports enhances efficiency in managing port activities, offering a broader view of operations.
In essence, the project seeks to revolutionize aquaculture through technological advancements, promoting sustainability, economic resilience, and improved monitoring practices across offshore and port operations.

The main goal of this project is to create a prototype, partially develop, and showcase an autonomous system designed for monitoring offshore fish farms. Leveraging proven technologies, the project aims to demonstrate the technological readiness of this approach. The key focus is on establishing the relevance and cost-saving benefits of implementing a remote system for environmental surveillance and monitoring. This system, equipped with various sensors such as a high-definition daylight camera, will transmit pertinent information, including hyperspectral signatures for identifying issues like algae blooms, to a control center. This will facilitate targeted site inspections and the implementation of preemptive safety measures. Furthermore, the project envisions the collection of additional measurements, such as meteorological data, to enhance situational awareness and promote the success and sustainability of offshore fish farming operations. The developed system is versatile and can be applied to other scenarios, such as port surveillance and monitoring. Monitoring port activities in real-time can contribute to efficient port management by predicting workloads and ensuring optimal asset deployment.

This aggregated information not only benefits business operations but also aids state intervention in administrative matters. In the initial stages of development, a comprehensive evaluation of potential aerial platforms was conducted, comparing them against each other. Following this assessment, it was determined that a drone would be the most advantageous solution for achieving the project's objectives. Subsequently, the drone solution became the baseline for the aerial vehicle in the project. The central emphasis of this undertaking revolves around the meticulous design of two pivotal systems: the base station and aerial vehicle. These components play integral roles in the overall project and demand careful attention to detail. A key feature of the system design is the establishment of a link between the aerial vehicle and the Ocean Vision platform. This platform serves as a landing and recharging station for the air vehicle, providing protection from the harsh environment during non-flight operations. The base station underwent a comprehensive design process to ensure autonomous operation and accommodation of all requisite subsystems. Consideration was given to the station's stability in adverse weather and sea conditions, with a specific focus on meeting rolling stability requirements. Structural analysis confirmed the station's ability to withstand maximum forces identified during hydrodynamic analysis, revealing a safety factor exceeding the proposed one. The team took a holistic approach to the base station design, incorporating technical, safety, and reliability considerations to deliver a robust solution aligned with project requirements.

Regarding the aerial vehicle, the team opted for a Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) solution from Beyond Vision, specifically the HEIFU hexacopter. The HEIFU, known for its autonomous capabilities, power, and stability, emerged as a suitable choice for the proposed missions. Utilizing a Commercial Off-The-Shelf solution for the aerial vehicle offers a cost-effective and efficient option, eliminating the need for custom design and development.

In the development of the OceanVision sensor payload, our primary focus was on capturing challenging environmental parameters, specifically wave characteristics and harmful algal blooms, which are traditionally difficult to obtain. Wave monitoring entails video analysis of wave patterns, while hyperspectral sensors are employed for monitoring harmful algal blooms. The versatility of the OceanVision system extends beyond its initial purpose to encompass port and site management, offering a high-altitude platform equipped with a payload package suitable surveillance applications.

The prototype Payload package is centered around the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 as the system's core, coupled with a Raspberry Pi High Quality camera chosen for its compatibility and superior image quality. Additionally, the project integrates a Hamamatsu hyperspectral sensor for precise measurement of algae concentration. The inclusion of a gimbal system ensures three-axis stabilization, facilitating accurate monitoring and the capability to observe the area of interest from a moving aerial platform.