Maritime ANalyTics Intelligence System - MANTIS (Phase 2)

MANTIS is a project focused on using geospatial data to address new and emerging challenges facing shipping and maritime navigational services within UK waters. The challenge is posed by the General Lighthouse Authority (and its sister organisation, Trinity House) who, under the jurisdiction of the Department for Transport, provide maritime aids to navigation services for the safety of all mariners, efficiency of maritime trade and protection of the marine environment throughout waters of the British Isles.

The need is to better understand, and then predict, the impacts to shipping of the UK's stated aim to significantly increase off-shore wind farming capacity.

This project will achieve this through the innovative analysis of ship movements and positions, throughout UK waters over periods of time, and utilising AI and machine learning technologies to identify evolving patterns of movement, leading to predictive outcomes for proposed future wind farm implementations.

Lead applicant, Emu Analytics, is a young, UK-based micro-SME with extensive experience in creating innovative geospatial analytics and visualisation solutions designed for big, fast and real-time data.

Its solutions are currently used extensively within the aviation sector, with notable users including IAG (British Airways), Heathrow and the Civil Aviation Authority, wherein the analysis of aircraft behaviours and patterns within UK airspace is undertaken, using big geospatial aircraft positioning data.

MANTIS will seek to adapt, evolve and transfer this expertise and capability from aviation to maritime, utilising the comparable maritime sector ship positional data, and ultimately producing a powerful, commercial-grade solution that could be utilised by a broad range of public and private sector organisations.