Autonomous Marine Robot Based on AI Recognition for Permanent Surveillance in Marine Protected Areas

Area of Science:

• Marine conservation technology
• Artificial intelligence in environmental monitoring
• Autonomous systems for ocean surveillance

Background:

• Marine protected areas (MPAs) are vital for biodiversity but face threats from illegal activities like poaching.
• Current surveillance methods struggle with offshore communication limitations and real-time data processing.
• Existing AI solutions for vessel detection may face challenges with accuracy and latency in remote marine environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) system for enhanced surveillance of marine protected areas (MPAs).
• To integrate artificial intelligence (AI)-based image recognition for detecting and identifying vessels engaged in illegal activities.
• To propose a smart algorithm for optimizing AI technology selection (cloud vs. edge) based on real-time mission requirements.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) equipped with AI-based image recognition for vessel detection.
• Implemented both cloud and edge AI computing technologies for computer vision tasks, leveraging Azure services.
• Developed a smart algorithm for autonomy optimization (SAAO) to dynamically select the most suitable AI processing (cloud or edge) based on accuracy and latency needs.

Main Results:

• The AI-based system demonstrated accuracy and reliability in detecting and recognizing vessels.
• The SAAO algorithm effectively optimized surveillance by selecting appropriate AI technologies in real-time.
• The system addressed challenges of offshore communication latency by enabling intelligent AI model selection.

Conclusions:

• The proposed ASV system with AI-powered surveillance and the SAAO algorithm offers an effective solution for monitoring MPAs.
• Real-time decision-making by the SAAO enhances surveillance efficiency, reduces risks, and improves mission outcomes.
• This technology provides a robust approach to combating illegal maritime activities and protecting marine biodiversity.