Josef Melchner, a marine biology enthusiast who sought to make a practical, positive impact on the world, is now the CEO of GoSmart, an Israeli company focused on using AI and machine learning to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of fish farming
GoSmart offers fully autonomous, energy-efficient systems that can be attached to aquaculture cages, ponds, or tanks. These systems, powered by the NVIDIA Jetson platform for edge AI, analyze various environmental factors, including fish weight, population distribution, temperature, and oxygen levels. The collected data is processed through GoSmart’s software-as-a-service, providing fish farmers with real-time insights into feeding and harvesting decisions.
By optimizing fish feeding regimes, GoSmart helps farmers save costs and reduce organic matter in aquatic environments, benefiting both their bottom line and the environment. Skretting, a major fish feed producer, has deployed GoSmart systems as part of its initiative to expand sustainable fish farming across southern Europe.
GoSmart’s mission is rooted in addressing global protein shortages while mitigating the environmental impact of marine protein acquisition through traditional fishing methods. Melchner highlights that approximately half of marine production still relies on wild-caught fish, leading to overfishing and ecological repercussions, such as reduced levels of algae, a crucial carbon sink.
GoSmart’s systems use lithium-ion batteries charged by solar panels and feature power-management software for autonomous operation. Equipped with sensors, cameras, and NVIDIA Jetson modules, these systems enable real-time analysis of environmental factors affecting fish health, growth, and welfare.
GoSmart is also training its AI systems to analyze fish behavior and disease indicators, further enhancing its capabilities. The company is exploring the use of NVIDIA TensorRT and NVIDIA Triton Inference Server for high-performance deep learning inference.
Melchner predicts a transformative future for aquaculture, with GoSmart’s ystems becoming a staple in the industry. Their goal is to cover every fish cage, pond, and tank globally, introducing advanced AI models and even integrating autonomous feeding barges to provide precise, timely food delivery for fish.
GoSmart’s technology has the potential to reduce fish feed consumption by up to 15% and shorten the time to market for fish, making it a game-changer in sustainable aquaculture.
