Detecting Ships in Seconds with AI Solution

Summary:

An AI-driven geospatial software suite has made it possible to detect ships within seconds, revolutionizing maritime monitoring.

Client: 

Unibap’s Space Cloud simulator initiative in collaboration with PCI Geomatics.

Problem Statement: 

Traditional satellite image processing methods often struggle to deliver timely results due to the significant time required for data transmission, processing, and analysis. This latency poses challenges for applications such as maritime surveillance, where rapid detection of ships is essential for responding to threats like illegal fishing, piracy, or environmental violations. The industry needed a solution capable of processing geospatial data directly in orbit and delivering actionable insights to users in near real-time.

Results: 

• Reduced latency.
• Ability to process 150 square kilometers of sea per second.
• Rapid detection of unauthorized vessels and potential threats in territorial waters.
• Conserved bandwidth usage and reduced data transfer costs.
• Improved detection accuracy, minimizing false positives and negatives.
• Enhanced security.

AI Solution Overview:

PCI Geomatics partnered with Unibap, a leader in artificial intelligence, to integrate CATALYST’s advanced geospatial capabilities with Unibap’s Space Cloud simulator. This collaboration combined CATALYST’s high-speed image processing algorithms, optimized for detecting ships and other objects in satellite imagery, with robust support for various geospatial data formats, ensuring seamless integration with Unibap’s platform. Additionally, CATALYST provided specialized modules for object detection and change monitoring, enabling precise identification of ships in maritime environments. Unibap’s Space Cloud simulator enhanced this integration by enabling edge computing directly on satellites, significantly reducing latency by eliminating the need for data transmission to ground stations. It also incorporated AI-powered processing pipelines for analyzing satellite imagery in orbit and simulated operational scenarios tailored to real-world maritime use cases. Together, these technologies created a cutting-edge solution for rapid and accurate ship detection.

References: 

1. Expanding horizons: How CATALYST made it possible to detect ships in seconds with Unibap’s Space Cloud simulator. https://catalyst.earth/expanding-horizons-how-catalyst-made-it-possible-to-detect-ships-in-seconds-with-unibaps-space-cloud-simulator/

Industry: Defense, Maritime Security, Environmental Monitoring.

Vendor: PCI Geomatics (CATALYST)

Client: Unibap’s Space Cloud simulator project

Publication Date: 2024