Weight estimation of the sea cucumber (Stichopus japonicas) using vision-based volume measurement

Abstract

Growth analysis and selection of sea cucumbers (Stichopus japonicas) is typically performed through length or weight measurements. However, because sea cucumbers continuously change shape depending on the external environment, weight measurement has been the preferred approach. Weight measurements require extensive time and labor, moreover it is often difficult to accurately weigh sea cucumbers because of their wet surface. The present study measured sea cucumber features, including the body length, width, and thickness, by using a vision system and regression analysis to generate R2 values that were used to develop a weight estimation algorithm. The R2 value between the actual volume and weight of the sea cucumbers was 0.999, which was relatively high. Evaluation of the performance of this algorithm using cross-validation showed that the root mean square error and worst-case prediction error were 1.434 g and ±5.879 g, respectively. In addition, the present study confirmed that the proposed weight estimation algorithm and single slide rail device for weight measurement can measure weights at approximately 4,500 sea cucumbers per hour.