Neural-net computer built on an FPGA automates fish inspection on-board ship.
To avoid spoilage, modern commercial fishing vessels carry on-board facilities for processing their catch. Human labor is at a premium, so commercial fishing concerns install automation whenever possible. One task that has resisted automation, however, is ensuring that only high-quality fish go into the filleting machines and that they go into the machines head first; otherwise, they would be ruined in the machine. "Someone has to look at every fish as they come below deck to the filleting machine," says Steven Hoffman, director of research at Pisces VMK. "They have to check for correct orientation and correct species and pull out any damaged fish."
