Taiwanese scientists have developed an algorithm that could tell when lobsters are about to molt, in a technological breakthrough that can be a boon for aquafarms supplying the soft-shell crustacean delicacy.
The computer-based image recognition system — which detects a molting lobster through changes in behavior, carapace shedding, activity frequency and other visual clues — could help aquafarms save labor, the state-run Fisheries Research Institute said on Friday in a news release.
A lobster farm with 10,000 cages can save 20 to 30 percent of time with the system, said Cheng Ming-chung (鄭明忠), the researcher who designed it.
Photo: Yang Yuan-ting, Taipei Times
By tracking the movements of the crawfish and taking exact carapace measurements, the system can identify the lobsters that are about to molt and predict the time the change is to happen, he said.
The lobsters under observation are assigned a color code, with green meaning no action required, while yellow indicates that the specimen is to molt in 24 hours and red indicates that the staff should prepare to harvest immediately, Cheng said.
As lobsters readily devour members of their own kind, harvesting lobsters within 30 minutes of molting is crucial for farms, Cheng said.
Individual cages can prevent the loss of a recently molted lobster to cannibalism, but the unpredictability of molting cycles means that a round-the-clock watch must be kept, which is cost-prohibitive, he said.
Many gourmet restaurants specializing in French or Japanese cuisine seek soft-shell lobsters, he said, adding that such crawfish is worth NT$2,000 per kilo, which is double the price of regular lobsters.
The system’s ability to reduce reliance on manual labor has significant advantages to the industry, Cheng said.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
Taiwanese officials were shown the first of 66 F-16V fighter jets purchased by Taiwan from the United States, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday, adding the aircraft has completed an initial flight test and is expected to be delivered later this year. A delegation led by Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) visited Lockheed Martin’s F-16 C/D Block 70 (also known as F-16V) assembly line in South Carolina on March 16 to view the aircraft. The jet will undergo a final acceptance flight in the US before being delivered to Taiwan, the
The New Taipei Metro's Sanyin Line and the eastern extension of the Taipei Metro's Tamsui-Xinyi Line (Red Line) are scheduled to begin operations in June, the National Development Council said today. The Red Line, which terminates at Xiangshan Station, would be connected by the 1.4km extension to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, while the Sanyin Line would link New Taipei City's Tucheng and Yingge stations via Sanxia District (三峽). The council gave the updates at a council meeting reviewing progress on public construction projects for this year. Taiwan's annual public infrastructure budget would remain at NT$800 billion (US$25.08 billion), with NT$97.3
RSS