Taitung farmers develop underwater drone to improve shrimp cultivation

Описание: Shrimp farmers in Taitung have developed a high-tech way to monitor their stocks, in the hope it will rejuvenate the rural economy. Shrimp pioneer Chang Chih-ming developed an underwater drone that traverses the bottom of his ponds, allowing him to see and understand how the shrimps are doing, with unprecedented precision. He plans to share his innovative methods to the locals for free in hopes to benefit others.

A fishing net is pulled slowly from the cultivation pond. Chinese white shrimp, some more than 10 centimeters long, are jumping about, and go into a bucket of water. Farmers are using remote-controlled submarines to cultivate them.

The yellow machine splashes into the water and heads for the center of the seawater pool. It goes under the surface, while on the bank, farmers can watch its explorations on their phone screens with a remote control device. Suddenly the bottom of the pool is as clear as day.

Voice of Wu Chung-tao
Shrimp cultivator
We use this to observe the shrimp at the bottom. Otherwise, sometimes if a person goes down to look at them, you get too close to them and they get stressed, and then they get muscle cramps, just like a human would.

Chang Chih-ming
Shrimp cultivator
It used to be all done by humans or by the human eye. We couldn''t actually manage it scientifically. But with this underwater drone, we can monitor and record the quality of the water, our shrimps, and their physical condition.

This Taitung innovator developed the underwater drone to start collecting big data on shrimp cultivation. Now he can raise the healthy whiteleg but also the harder-to-manage Chinese white shrimp, which he expects to be ready for market by next year.

Chang Chih-ming
Shrimp cultivator
I''ll give the support of these machines to all the locals for free, to help us to develop a new industry here in Taitung. Taitung''s got the best water quality. Our salt levels can reach Level Three, which you might not be able to find elsewhere. Our water''s also very clean. So basically I''m doing completely harm-free cultivation here. We don''t use any antibiotics or add any pesticides or herbicides. It''s completely pure and natural.

Taitung farmers are hoping the submarine drone will help make shrimp cultivation more profitable than ever before, rejuvenating the economy and giving young people a reason to stick around in their hometown.