Adversarial AI Testcases for Maritime Autonomous Systems

Contemporary maritime operations such as shipping are a vital component constituting global trade and defence. The evolution towards maritime autonomous systems, often providing significant benefits (e.g., cost, physical safety), requires the utilisation of artificial intelligence (AI) to automate the functions of a conventional crew. However, unsecured AI systems can be plagued with vulnerabilities naturally inherent within complex AI models. The adversarial AI threat, primarily only evaluated in a laboratory environment, increases the likelihood of strategic adversarial exploitation and attacks on mission-critical AI, including maritime autonomous systems. This work evaluates AI threats to maritime autonomous systems in situ. The results show that multiple attacks can be used against real-world maritime autonomous systems with a range of lethality. However, the effects of AI attacks vary in a dynamic and complex environment from that proposed in lower entropy laboratory environments. We propose a set of adversarial test examples and demonstrate their use, specifically in the marine environment. The results of this paper highlight security risks and deliver a set of principles to mitigate threats to AI, throughout the AI lifecycle, in an evolving threat landscape.</jats:p

Introducing Multi-Source Domain Adaptation for Quality Control in Retail Food Packaging

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Using Machine Learning to Predict Port Congestion : A study of the port of Paranaguá

Being able to accurately predict future levels of port congestion is of great value to both port and ship operators. However, such a prediction tool is currently not available. In this thesis, a Long Short-Term Memory Recurrent Neural Network is built to fulfill this need. The prediction model uses information mined from Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) data, vessel characteristics, weather data, and commodity price data as input variables to predict the future level of congestion in the port of Paranaguå, Brazil. All data used in this study are publicly available. The predictions of the proposed model are shown to be promising with a satisfactory level of accuracy. The conclusion and evaluation of the presented model are that it serves its purpose and fulfills its objective within the constraints set by the authors and its inherent limitations.nhhma

Multi-source domain adaptation for quality control in retail food packaging

Peer reviewedPostprin

Reliable Navigational Scene Perception for Autonomous Ships in Maritime Environment

Due to significant advances in robotics and transportation, research on autonomous ships has attracted considerable attention. The most critical task is to make the ships capable of accurately, reliably, and intelligently detecting their surroundings to achieve high levels of autonomy. Three deep learning-based models are constructed in this thesis to perform complex perceptual tasks such as identifying ships, analysing encounter situations, and recognising water surface objects. In this thesis, sensors, including the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and cameras, provide critical information for scene perception. Specifically, the AIS enables mid-range and long-range detection, assisting the decision-making system to take suitable and decisive action. A Convolutional Neural Network-Ship Movement Modes Classification (CNN-SMMC) is used to detect ships or objects. Following that, a Semi- Supervised Convolutional Encoder-Decoder Network (SCEDN) is developed to classify ship encounter situations and make a collision avoidance plan for the moving ships or objects. Additionally, cameras are used to detect short-range objects, a supplementary solution to ships or objects not equipped with an AIS. A Water Obstacle Detection Network based on Image Segmentation (WODIS) is developed to find potential threat targets. A series of quantifiable experiments have demonstrated that these models can provide reliable scene perception for autonomous ships