Maritime Safety and Security: AI-ARC Virtual Control Room
The AI-ARC project developed a Virtual Control Room for enhancing situational awareness at sea, using Hybrid AI to detect illegal activities including environmental violations, illegal fishing, and suspicious smuggling behaviors.
The oceans present many threats that challenge the safety and security of maritime operations. From potential groundings to environmental violations, illegal fishing, and hidden activities of “dark vessels” which operate without transmitting their location, the maritime domain presents a myriad of risks. However, AI can help increase both safety and security at sea.
The AI-ARC Project
The project AI-ARC focused on reducing risks and enhancing safety and security in the Arctic and Baltic Sea through a Virtual Control Room. This platform enhances situational awareness and decision-making, powered by a collection of AI services for analyzing various sources of real-time maritime data and detecting multiple types of risks.
The solution is designed to benefit coast and border guard authorities and private industries.
Hybrid AI Approach
RISE contributed several services for anomaly detection and intent recognition to this project. The services use Hybrid AI, combining machine learning and rule-based techniques:
- Anomaly Detection: Identifying statistically unusual data in a large dataset—an area RISE has been involved in since 2001
- Intention Recognition: Identifying behavior patterns that suggest specific plans or intentions
Detection Capabilities
Using a combination of these techniques, detectors were developed for various illegal activities at sea:
- Environmental Violations: Unauthorized tank cleaning
- Illegal Fishing: Activity in protected areas or incorrect economic zones
- Suspicious Behaviors: Unexpected meetings at sea or deviations from typical routes
- Infrastructure Threats: Vessels loitering above critical infrastructure
Demonstration and Future Work
A successful demonstration of the developed detectors for illegal activities in the Baltic Sea was performed in Karlskrona in September 2023, hosted by the Swedish Coast Guard.
The critical infrastructure protection work continues in the new EU project VIGIMARE, which specifically aims for protection of critical infrastructures at sea and land.
Project Partners
The EU project AI-ARC was led by Laurea University of Applied Sciences and involved 22 partners from 12 countries.
