A Météo-France weather station is installed on board Polarfront. It automatically transmits data that feed into global meteorological databases.
The station’s data are important because they are used to initialize numerical weather prediction models, and are later available for climate research. In addition to these transmissions, the crew records observations that the sensors cannot collect.
The station’s data are important because they are used to initialize numerical weather prediction models, and are later available for climate research. In addition to these transmissions, the crew records observations that the sensors cannot collect.
In 2024, Latitude Blanche also developed a new partnership with SEA.AI, a company specializing in the development of artificial intelligence (AI)-based solutions for the automatic detection of floating objects. A data acquisition campaign is being conducted on board Polarfront to monitor the presence of icebergs and cetaceans, as well as weather and ocean conditions, in order to collect unique data sets that will help improve SEA.AI’s floating-object detection algorithms.
SEA.AI’s AI relies on previously trained algorithms and deep learning models, which must be fed with large quantities of annotated maritime images in order to learn how to identify and classify new floating objects. These new data serve as examples that enable the algorithms to recognize and interpret different objects and visual patterns. A high-quality and diverse database therefore helps improve the accuracy and performance of SEA.AI’s AI.
Polar regions are both fascinating areas, where the presence of marine mammals must be protected, and hostile environments, where icebergs can pose a serious hazard to navigation. The collaboration between SEA.AI and Latitude Blanche illustrates the importance of innovation and cooperation in improving maritime safety in polar waters.
