The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) and Marine AI have launched a pioneering project to enable Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) to interpret and act on official navigational data currently reserved for human mariners.
Program to Enhance MASS Autonomy
The joint eight-month research project is focused on closing a major gap in MASS operations by giving autonomous vessels the ability to understand complex, human-readable nautical information.
- Key Partners: The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO), which supplies products under the ADMIRALTY brand, and the British maritime autonomy software company Marine AI.
- Technological Solution: Marine AI will refine a bespoke large language model (LLM) and develop supporting AI agents. This LLM will process ADMIRALTY Sailing Directions and Radio Navigation Warnings, which are currently written in natural language.
- Application: The LLM will restructure this unstructured text and legacy broadcast data into a format that can be fed into Marine AI’s GuardianAI software suite, enabling autonomous control of uncrewed vessels.
- Goal: The ultimate objective is to allow MASS to make real-time safe navigation decisions using the same official data as professional mariners, thereby transforming the global shipping industry.
Project Climax and Future Impact
The project includes live testing and is designed to support the development of international standards for future navigation technology.
- Live Trials: The program will culminate in live on-water trials next spring (northern spring). An Oceanus12 vessel from ZeroUSV, fitted with the GuardianAI suite, will be demonstrated on the waterways of Plymouth, England, running in parallel with simulations.
- Support for S-100 Framework: The research will directly contribute to the development of the International Hydrographic Office’s (IHO’s) S-100 data framework, which is set to be the new universal standard for future navigation technologies.
- Safety and Standards: The UKHO emphasized that the outcomes will support the safety of lives at sea and ensure that UKHO data continues to set the global benchmark for safe navigation in both crewed and uncrewed vessels.
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Source: Creamer Media
