LeisAIR: Leisure watercraft AI Image Recognition

NASH Maritime are specialists in shipping, navigation and maritime risk. To manage safety and maximise capacity in ports and harbours, it is essential that risks are identified, measured and mitigated through a process of Navigation Risk Assessment (NRA). The NRA is a key part of the management of maritime safety and an essential step in the consenting process of any maritime infrastructure project.

Integral to NRA is the analysis of vessel traffic data. Robust, reliable location and movement data for commercial, and some large recreational, vessels are readily available via the Automatic Identification System (AIS). However no such data are available for recreational water users -- small craft, dinghies, rowers, kayakers etc.

Instead, data on the movements and volumes of recreational water users is gathered through stakeholder consultation and by direct observation. The former is very subjective, the latter resource intensive and time-limited. Having accurate data on recreational water users would improve the accuracy of the NRA process by an order of magnitude, promoting the use of appropriate risk controls, enabling the harmonious coexistence of multiple maritime stakeholders and maximising capacity for all water users.

NASH Maritime and Brunel University will use recent advances in the capability of AI image recognition to automate the process of recreational vessel data collection The project will build on NASH Maritime's existing AI model to improve and extend its capability to accurately identify and record volumes of various different types of recreational craft from port and harbour CCTV feeds. The model will be used to increase the accuracy and reduce the cost of delivering NRAs.

This will deliver a step-change in the accuracy of delivering navigation risk assessments and make the process more cost-effective, maximising maritime transport capacity and improving maritime safety.

There are applications for this technology beyond NRA, and NASH will explore the use of recreational vessel image recognition to support:

* Risk assessment for other maritime operations
* Water use management/ mapping studies
* Enforcement of local regulations
* Security
* Navigation decision support