ILLEGAL FISHING ENFORCEMENT
Open Ocean Robotics’ uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) DataXplorer™ conducted a 25-day mission in illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing enforcement in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. The USV operated nonstop in challenging open ocean conditions, continuously monitoring with a suite of sensors for detecting, identifying, and tracking vessels and associated fishing activity. The project is part of WILDAID's MPAbots program, a multi-organization initiative to advance, validate, and demonstrate use of robotic technologies to combat illegal fishing.
Traditional open ocean surveillance uses fixed assets on shore, satellites, crewed ships or aircrafts. These assets are expensive, polluting, lack resolution, and require significant resources and personnel. Developing nations can rarely afford these solutions.
CHALLENGE
SOLUTION
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The innovative use of small, mobile USV fleets
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Scalable, improves functionality, significantly lowers costs, emissions and safety risks, and increases the quality of evidence gathered.
GOALS
HIGHLIGHTS
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25-day continuous mission
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Surveillance sensors
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Environmental data collection
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USV operated nonstop in challenging open ocean conditions, persistently monitoring with a suite of sensors for detecting, identifying, and tracking vessels and associated fishing activity.
RESULTS
Environmental Monitoring
Underwater cameras
Oceanographic sensors for temperature, turbidity, salinity, chlorophyll, and more
Weather conditions including air temperature, wind speed & direction, barometric pressure
Visual Surveillance
360 degree visual cameras and thermal camera for day and nighttime surveillance
AI driven edge computing for automatic vessel detection and identification
AIS Detections
Detections at up to 30km
Continuous Uninterrupted detections
Useful for detecting AIS and combatting AIS spoofing
Continuous Operations
Nonstop operations in challenging open ocean conditions.
Continuously collecting data with cameras, hydrophones, and oceanographic sensors for illegal fishing detection and environmental monitoring
Remote Piloting
USV piloted from Victoria BC.
Data sent in real-time to operators
USV travels preprogrammed missions that can be modified to change the route, sensor sampling rate, and more.
Fusing Space & USV Data
USV DataXplorer™ can collect detailed ocean information to compliment space data
Can identify vessels without AIS and validate AIS signatures to prevent spoofing
In the future, USV can be queued to respond to space data
BENEFITS DEMONSTRATED
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Reliable & seaworthy for continuous operations
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Near real time comms & detections, over the horizon
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Images, acoustic signatures, and AIS detections provide vessel monitoring
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Easy to use interface to operate USV and share information with enforcement agencies
PROJECT
PROFILES
Open Ocean Robotics' fleet of autonomous boats are designed to remotely patrol the ocean, collecting a variety of critical data. “Our goal is to help industries operate sustainably on the ocean,” Julie says. “What we can’t measure, we can’t protect. What we can’t see, we can’t change. If we don’t understand the impacts we’re having on our oceans, we’ll never change our behavior.”
CLIENTS & PARTNERS
