Stingray to trial handling-free lice counting
Stingray is just weeks away from testing lice counting without handling, with a commercial application expected by the end of the year.
John Arne Breivik, chief executive of the Oslo-based maker of laser delousing equipment, explains that their work on the development of software for both biomass measurement and sea lice population count has now moved sharply ahead with increased resources.
“We have been working in parallel with the development of both of these solutions. Since we have come furthest with lice counts and want to fully exploit the upcoming lice seasons through summer to autumn, we will start with this in April.”
Initially, Stingray’s biology and research department will run internal tests and review images.
Then they will take a closer look at the population count in practice, and how this reflects the levels reported from the farmers. After this, a handful of fish farmers will go through a beta testing of the system.
“We should then run a comparison of data throughout the summer, from around May to October. We will also work with selection of data and presentation of this in the digital platform. We do what we can to take lice counting on,” adds Breivik.
Breivik says that the company’s digital platform "Stingray Online", which has now reached its fourth full version after update, has made it possible to start up specifically with lice counts via images.
“This makes it possible to share and bring out specific data. We want our devices to be a tool for better lice control and better planning of production, and this contributes to it,” he adds.
Stingray will also work on developing biomass measurement software.
“The goal is that at least one of the solutions will be commercialised during 2017, and we expect to achieve this,” said Breivik, adding that this year Stingray has already sold almost as many laser devices for killing lice as they did throughout last year. They are also in the midst of a recruiting phase to put in place people who can strengthen development areas in the company further.
“We recently searched for program and development controllers and many competent people , both from the oil industry and aquaculture, applied. We will soon employ two or three of these to drive the development of monitoring and customer support even further,” he notes.
