Federated Learning application to vessels routes plans to bring maritime navigation a step ahead, especially improving how vessels forecast their routes and detect anomalies. This innovation has been developed within the framework of the Horizon Europe funded project MobiSpaces. Federated Learning works by processing data close to where they are produced, by decentralising machine learning techniques and processes data directly on-board vessels, rather than sending it to a central server. This approach allows to speed up data analysis ensuring at the same time privacy, without the need for costly data transmissions.
Solving Maritime Challenges
A huge amount of data is generated by the maritime industry, they can be quite difficult to manage. Here comes into play Federated Learning, by improving the accuracy of vessel route predictions and helping to identify unusual patterns in real-time, so as to maximise navigation safer and more efficiently. Environmental issues are also considered, such as reducing energy consumption and lowering carbon emissions, by enabling smarter data processing.
The general project goal is to improve how mobility data is handled, with applications extending beyond maritime use to smart cities and public transport. It uses data from IoT devices and mobile sensors to provide useful insights, all while ensuring that privacy is maintained.
The Austrian Institute of Technology and the University of Piraeus Research Centre led the development of this Federated Learning and anomaly detection tool. Last but not least this innovation stands out for its women-led development. Several of the organisations involved in the development, demonstrating the key contribution of women to this technological innovation.
Supporting Sustainable Development
The innovation also ties into the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 9, which focuses on building resilient infrastructure and promoting innovation. Among the goals pursued by this innovation is to make the maritime sector more efficient, reduce its impact on the environment and contribute to the growth of the digital economy.
