- One of the largest maritime artificial intelligence data
capture trials takes place in Hampshire.
- Enabling the development of new AI products for Defence.
- Strengthening cooperation between industry and international
partners.
A large-scale maritime and beach-landing exercise on the
Hampshire coast has provided has provided vital data to help
develop cutting edge AI products for the Ministry of Defence.
A Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) led exercise
over five days involved 130 personnel, 13 vessels, multiple
uncrewed air vehicles, a light aircraft and more than 50 cameras
and sensors to record activity.
Contending with high winds up to 40 knots, landings saw personnel
boarding and leaving vehicles in different ways to generate data
representative of different behavioural traits.
In one scenario synchronised landings saw participants acting as
a trained team such as a military unit. In another, participants
exited the boats in a deliberately chaotic way, to provide a
wider data sample of human movement.
The trial was a collaboration with 12 industry and international
partners, supported by Royal Navy and British Army personnel, and
comes ahead of the UK government’s AI Summit over the next few
days. Investing in artificial intelligence is paramount to the
continued modernisation of our Armed Forces and is a key priority
for the UK government.
Minister for Defence Procurement, , said:
Investing in new technology provides our Armed Forces with the
tools they need to stay ahead of emerging threats and ensures our
national security in an ever-evolving technological landscape.
Innovative, data driven exercises like this demonstrate how AI
can enhance our military capabilities, enabling us to respond
more efficiently to the threats of today and tomorrow.
Data captured during the exercise included visual, infrared,
sonar and radar as well as supporting ‘metadata’ including
platform and sensor locations, weather, sea states and other
contextual information.
The video, imagery and other data captured will be used to build
further datasets to train AI algorithms to recognise objects,
such as other vessels. Data generated by the trial will also
enable the Ministry of Defence and industry partners to develop
new AI products for Defence in an ethical, safe, and responsible
manner.
Carefully curated datasets are the bedrock to many AI
capabilities and the sourcing and integrity of the data is
crucial. The data gathered through trials such as this, will be
used to validate the performance of future systems providing the
operator with confidence in its abilities.
Charlie Maslen, Dstl’s trial technical authority,
said:
This was an ambitious and challenging trial which builds on the
experience and expertise gained during the previous land-based
exercise. Conducting a trial with sensors spanning three domains
– land, sea and air – involving 12 separate industry partners was
immensely complex. Added to which we were hampered on 2 days by
40 knot winds.
Data generated by the trial will enable MOD and industry partners
to develop new AI products for Defence, helping keep UK forces
safe and delivering operational advantage. Being able to
guarantee the integrity of the data underlines MOD’s commitment
to the ethical, safe and responsible use of AI.
