Umar Nguyen, founder of The Fish Girl and representative for Shark Bay Seafoods Pty Ltd – Australia’s only producers of wild-caught scampi caviar – is working with the ARM Hub to transform her business using robotics.
Since Shark Bay Seafoods began production of wild-caught scampi caviar, their work has opened new market opportunities and catapulted their brand – represented nationally and internationally by The Fish Girl – into the spotlight. However, success came at a cost.
Due to repetitive strain from manual sorting, Umar sustained permanent damage to her shoulder, carpal tunnel in her left arm, and two slipped discs in her spine.
In search of an innovative solution to the tedious process, Umar reached out to the ARM Hub. In 2023, she became one of six participants selected in ARM Hub’s inaugural Female Founders Technology Accelerator.
As part of the accelerator, the ARM Hub team worked with Umar to reimagine the manual sorting process. The result was “Bernie”, a modified dental aspirator that uses suction to remove impurities while preserving the product’s high standards.
Bernie reduced the sorting time for scampi caviar from over five hours per kilogram to just two, allowing Umar to work for longer periods without experiencing intense physical fatigue. However, like any early-stage solution, Bernie only solved part of the problem.
Integrating robotics for smarter sorting
Building on that success, this year Umar is participating in the ARM Hub’s Female Founders Scale-up Manufacturing Program to take the next phase of automation forward.
The project’s second phase focuses on combining a robotic arm with computer vision to identify impurities such as discoloured eggs in the caviar.
“We’re looking to achieve complete automation of the sorting process, potentially eliminating the need for constant manual input,” said Sarah Baldwin, Mechatronics Engineer at the ARM Hub.
The process begins with Umar using Bernie to remove leftover debris and scales, creating partially processed batches.
“It is particularly challenging to identify the translucent scales in a batch without human oversight, which is why we still use Bernie for pre-processing in this phase of the project,” said Alex Young, Mechatronics Engineer at the ARM Hub.
Once pre-processed, the eggs are spread into a single layer so the system can identify discoloured eggs. Their positions are then relayed to the robotic arm, which removes them using vacuum suction – leaving the premium product intact.
“We mount a camera at a distance and input the image into the software, which uses colour-grading to identify discoloured eggs,” explained Sarah.
The future of scampi caviar production
The solution is currently in the concept development and prototyping stage. The ARM Hub’s tech team is running simulations to ensure the system avoids false positives and negatives, while replacing Bernie’s dental aspirator with a purpose-built vacuum suction unit.
“The vacuum system allows Umar to adjust the suction pressure when sorting, providing greater control and gentler handling,” said Alex.
User testing from Bernie informed the optimal vacuum pressure, which is now guiding the design of phase two.
“The robotic arm is an interim solution toward our ultimate goal – complete automation of the sorting process,” said Alex.
“The goal is to do much more with much less.”
This phase promises to further reduce manual strain, increase throughput, and provide a scalable, sustainable model for niche seafood producers.
With the ARM Hub’s ongoing support, Umar and Shark Bay Seafoods Pty Ltd are refining the production process while exploring potential export opportunities in the United States and Asia.