A startup made a robot for fresher tasting fish

Fish that looks and tastes better and stays fresher longer.

That's the promise from a startup called Shinkei Systems , which is using robotics and computer vision to process fish in a more careful, controlled way. The company says that translates into higher quality seafood on the plate.

Traditional fishing can leave fish sitting on ship decks for a long time before they're processed, a delay that builds stress and affects flavor and texture.

Shinkei developed a robot called Poseidon that acts within seconds, quickly harvesting the fish and starting the chilling process right away. The company says that results in a cleaner taste and a shelf life up to two or three times longer.

"We're scaling up the artisanal supply chains from Japan using software, robotics, and automation," said Saif Khawaja, founder of Shinkei Systems.

The technique itself is not new.

"Traditionally this technique that we're automating has been done in Japan. For centuries, you know, some would even say millennia," said Khawaja.

Today, several of these systems are installed directly on fishing boats, so fish can be handled immediately after they're caught. Fishermen get the machines for free and, in return, earn a higher price for their catch.

"As soon as fish come out of the water, a deckhand or a fisherman will put the fish inside the machine," Ginsberg said. "And in under five seconds it's into an ice slurry and that cold chain is started right away," explained Reed Ginsberg, co-founder of Shinkei Systems.

Shinkei's seafood is sold to Michelin-starred restaurants, retailers and local markets under the brand Seremoni, which the company compares to grass-fed or pasture-raised meat.

I tried their vermilion rockfish and black cod at the popular Crudo y Nudo restaurant in Santa Monica.

Not only did it taste fresh, it felt good knowing the fish were handled with more care.

"You don't have to be a chef to just want to do better for seafood, do better for your body, do better for the ocean," said Chef Brian Bornemann of Crudo e Nudo, who also serves as an ambassador for Seremoni.

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