Startups target aquatic problems

Eunice Lam

Two Chinese University of Hong Kong alumni have launched startups that use artificial intelligence to improve aquaculture and swimming pool management.

The two startups were featured during the 10th anniversary of Entrepreneurship Day on August 27 and 28, which showcased CUHK alumni and teachers' distinctive achievements in research and entrepreneurship while promoting entrepreneurship culture on campus.

Shanghai-based BWSea, created by founder and CEO Polly Ng Kit-shun, is a floating platform that assists fish farmers with farming offshore.

Fish farmers raising deep-sea fish previously had to rent big tug boats to move their farms to ideal spots at least 10 kilometers offshore and 20 km under the sea. This costs over 10 million yuan (HK$11 million) and at least a week's worth of time.

"We have conducted a few trips in Guangdong province. The platform has been an important tool for us to get in touch with the mainland aquaculture market," Ng said.

She added that BWSea has been developing an AI-driven solution, which will help monitor aquaculture health.

Currently, fish farmers can only monitor the condition of their fish by catching samples for a veterinary test and need to use large doses of antibiotics to prevent the shoal from contracting harmful viruses or bacteria.

One product undergoing testing is a kit that enables fish farmers to instantly gauge the level of viruses or bacteria in a water sample, she added, while the AI-driven system can advice fish farmers on using antibiotics sparingly.

The other startup, Hong Kong-based AIqua, is a swimming pool management system that uses sonar scanning to identify potential drowning victims.

Co-founder Norman Chan Pak-chuen said the idea of the SwimNet 1.0 system began three years ago, with the goal of preventing drowning incidents in pools.

The system, which was trialed in a private housing estate in July, integrates sonar scanning, AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) to assess swimmers' risk of drowning and water quality.

SwimNet has already analyzed patterns of the over 40,000 poses of swimmers drowning in a pool.

The system is composed of sonar scanners installed underwater and an AI-driven system that issues warnings to lifeguards or property management companies when it identifies a swimmer staying in place for too long or struggling in the water.

Chan said the system can help ease the dearth of lifeguards in the city. The company is expected to launch the SwimNet 2.0 by next year, an upgrade that can be installed more flexibly.

eunice.lam@singtaonewscorp.com