Analytics in Maritime operations

Analytics are processing units that automatically extract information from raw images.

These Analytics can cover different missions:

• detecting, classifying, identifying objects of interest,
• extracting landscape features 
• detecting, classifying changes or anomalies, 
• extracting biophysical parameters or even evaluating bathymetry in coastal areas.

Analytics are increasingly used in maritime operations but are deployed in very different geospatial Concept of Operations (CONOPS) depending on the use case. For example, they are used for monitoring harbors and their activities, but they can also be of great value in an offshore context where rapid information retrieval is crucial. Additionally, analytics can be combined with other sources of information like Automatic Identification System (AIS), Radio Frequency (RF) and others to enhance maritime awareness.

Analytics in the maritime domain comes with specificities and challenges: 

• Speed and size of objects: Objects of interest like vessels are moving (and sometimes fast!), and most of the time are very small compared to the vast domain of suspected presence, which makes detection and analysis even more challenging. 
• The object's environment:  A vessel's visual characteristics can vary significantly depending on its surroundings - whether isolated in the open ocean or in a very dense harbour.
• Impact of the environment: Factors such as sun glint, haze or clouds over maritime areas can alter image quality and make detection more complex, requiring the ability to use various sensors.

Depending on the customers’ needs Airbus can propose different analytics-driven approaches for maritime missions, ranging from fully automated to a combination of automation and human expertise:

• Services based on automated workflows, with the direct delivery of imagery and additional layers of information to our customers: For instance, in the REPMUS23 NATO exercise, new autonomous technologies were experimented to support Rapid Environmental Assessment and operations. In this context Airbus deployed timely production and delivery of Pléiades Neo images as well as raw bathymetry maps of coastal zones to help our partners make the most of our pixels.
• Missions handled by an advanced IMINT Centre: An Airbus team of expert analysts with an unrivaled access to satellite resources, AIS data worldwide and AI technology are able to deliver accurate, timely insights to support security and intelligence missions. The center is highly reactive and can be activated 24/7, 365 days a year for near real time analysis of any suspicious maritime operations (illegal fishing, drug traffic, transshipment, fuel degassing, etc.).

The benefits of using AI in general are common to all application domains. But it is especially true whilst monitoring such vast areas as the coastlines, rivers or oceans:

• Getting things done faster: By using analytics in their workflows, our customers or partners can see their time to information drastically improve, especially with the automation of non critical tasks or large volume study.
• Manipulating a large volume of information with ease: detecting oil spills from Sentinel imagery in an offshore environment is something that is very complex to do without the help of automated processing and analytics.
• Augmenting analysts’ capabilities: AI integration can guide them towards relevant patterns or finding a needle in a haystack.