Automatic identification system (AIS) provider ExactEarth Ltd has joined the Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) mission and will contribute its ExactAIS and ExactSeNS services to the project
ExactAIS will supply live satellite AIS data into the mission’s operations centre, augmenting the data collected by the ship’s onboard AIS transceiver by providing a real-time over-the-horizon view throughout the voyage.
The AIS data service provides flexible access to all the AIS messages captured by the company’s satellite constellation ExactView RT. This service tracks more than 500,000 unique vessels worldwide and generates average global revisit rates and average latency rates of less than one minute.
The ExactSeNS service will use the company’s very high frequency (VHF)-based M2M satellite communications service to upload sensor data in real-time from the ship’s onboard weather station, via an onboard transmitter.
ExactSeNS uses application specific messages (ASM), maritime VHF frequencies and ExactEarth’s AIS satellite payloads to provide a real-time service that can collect data from sensors on maritime assets that include ships, buoys, autonomous and environmental platforms and navigational aids.
ASM is part of the evolution of the AIS standard into the VHF data exchange system.
ExactEarth vice president business development Peter Dorcas said this is an opportunity for the company to trial ExactSeNS as part of an initiative that “if successful, could lead to the greater adoption of autonomous shipping as well as demonstrating how the service could create new opportunities for ExactEarth in the broader maritime information market."
In September 2020, MAS will attempt the world’s first transatlantic voyage from Plymouth, UK to Plymouth, US, using AI, cloud and edge computing and remote monitoring technology.
The autonomous ship is being developed, built and tested by a consortium led by ProMare and uses IBM’s PowerAI Vision and cloud computing. Mayflower’s onboard computers will receive real-time data and images. Other data feeds include radar, light detection and ranging.
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