Tidal has launched its newest generation of underwater camera system, designed to improve monitoring capabilities in aquaculture net pens.
The new system, dubbed the “Orca,” is the latest iteration of the company’s underwater monitoring solutions. Tidal was originally a part of X, the moonshot factory – a project of Google parent company Alphabet – before it launched as a standalone company in August 2024.
According to the company, its latest camera system, which utilizes AI to improve monitoring inside net pens, will introduce autonomous feeding control as part of an “all-in-one” system that includes multi-depth analysis for lice, biomass, and welfare.
“We are pleased to be able to support a broader range of operations and to unlock new layers of insight in environments where manual sampling is nearly impossible," Tidal General Manager Anders Fossøy said.
The company said the new system will allow companies to reduce the amount of equipment required in net pens and provide more value from its single system, simplifying maintenance and allowing fish farmers to optimize feed strategies to improve fish welfare.
Tidal said its Orca system comes with fish behavior analytics – such as swim speed and tilt angle analysis – and includes a biofouling resistant coating called BioShield to reduce obstructions on its four camera lenses. The Orca also has higher image quality, better low-light performance, and a wider field of view which all contribute to higher accuracy in its analysis of fish health.
The company said it is also a modular unit.
“Thanks to Orca’s modular design, we can continue adding new features that meet our customers’ evolving needs,” Fossøy said.
Tidal got its start partnering with Norwegian salmon-farming company Mowi to develop its AI-powered analysis and later partnered with Cognizant Ocean in June 2023 to expand the use of AI in aquaculture operations.
