An oyster raft of bamboo poles

IKAK

IKAK: a small beacon for oyster rafts

We are developing a way to keep track of where oyster rafts are, using a small beacon fixed to the rafts and the smartphones of passing boats. IKAK sends out only its own ID number, and we never publish where boats or fishers have been.

For raft owners (fishing cooperatives, oyster farmers, local governments) and the people who run boats near the rafts

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The problem

Hiroshima Bay is dotted with oyster rafts. Rafts can drift away, and keeping track of which raft is where is not easy.

Oyster rafts lined up in front of an island

What we do

IKAK is a small beacon, fixed to a raft, that sends out its own ID number. We are developing a system in which, when the smartphone on a passing boat picks up the signal, the place and time it was received are recorded, and the raft’s position is worked out from those records. Rather than fitting every raft, we are considering putting beacons on rafts at key points and covering the wider area by satellite.

Where things stand, and what to know

  • IKAK holds no position of its own and sends out only its ID number. Its signal reaches only the area close to the raft, so a raft’s position is recorded only when the smartphone on a boat passing nearby picks it up.
  • Stage: Concept, We are considering how the beacons would be handed out and how the app would be offered.

Stage and evidence

Each claim carries its own stage, and who confirmed it where that is on record.

IKAK (a beacon for oyster rafts)

A small beacon fixed to oyster rafts. It sends out only its own ID number, which the smartphones of passing boats pick up.

  • Stage: Being tested, Our own work

    We are developing IKAK, a small beacon fixed to rafts (in the four-party joint research, we were responsible for developing the device and the system). IKAK sends out only its own ID number and holds no position of its own. The smartphones of passing boats pick it up. We do not distinguish which boat a signal came from, and we never publish where boats or fishers have been.

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Someone working on an oyster raft

Managing oyster rafts, and keeping track of rafts and debris that drift away

An idea for using IKAK’s ID numbers to tell rafts apart, to help manage them and keep track of any that drift away.

  • Stage: Concept,

    We are considering using IKAK’s ID numbers to tell rafts apart, so that even if a raft drifts away, its position is recorded whenever it passes a boat within the bay. We are also considering making the distribution of rafts available to oyster farmers and local government as basic information for managing the sea.

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People on a boat beside an oyster raft

Extending IKAK’s range (offshore buoys, other aquaculture, port facilities)

An idea for extending IKAK’s range so it can be used beyond oyster rafts.

  • Stage: Concept,

    We are considering using links such as BLE Long Range, LoRa and LPWA to extend IKAK’s reach to a few kilometres, so it can also be used on offshore buoys, other aquaculture facilities and port facilities.

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A calm sea and islands under a cloudy sky

How it would be offered (app, data and beacons)

Our idea of how the app, the data and the beacons would be offered.

  • Stage: Concept,

    We are considering offering the app for a monthly fee that includes business liability insurance, and stating in the terms of use that the final decision on navigation rests with the person running the boat. We are also considering giving the beacons to fishing cooperatives free of charge, and selling the raft positions and other data gathered to other businesses.

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Checking an oyster raft’s rope from the boat

Ways to work with us

How to read the stages

Stage: Proven,
Results checked at sea or in the field, and on record
Stage: Being tested,
Trials, prototypes or development under way
Stage: Concept,
At the planning stage, including ideas shown as exhibits or prototypes

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