Multiple networks join our world together. Millions of people and things move around the Earth’s surface, exchanging data via wireless and satellite connections.
Expanding and managing the global networks that connect us will help build a better future for everyone.
How is the UK working to keep the world connected?
Find your Place
Street addresses weren’t designed for 2021. They aren’t accurate enough to specify precise locations, such as building entrances, and many of the best places don’t even have an address at all! what3words is an easy way to identify precise locations. Every 3 metre square has been given a unique combination of three words. For example, the entrance to the UK Pavilion is at ///techy.sharply.hotspots
Guiding the Way
Satellites connect places that other networks, such as Wi-Fi or phones, can’t reach. People in remote areas like deserts or mountains, out at sea and even in the air on a plane all get calls, the internet, safety services, movies and more thanks to Inmarsat’s satellites and signal receiving dishes.
Linking the Planet
Marine Autonomy is a disruptive technology projected to be worth £103bn by 2030 that will use GPS and AI to monitor operations at sea, improve safety for seafarers and enable us to better understand our oceans. In the future it could transform shipping itself by making logistics more efficient and greener. The UK is well placed with an ecosystem of tech innovators, world-class science, manufacturers and locations to design, test and deploy autonomous marine systems.
Linking the Planet
Marine robotics company Ocean Infinity is developing the world’s largest fleet of uncrewed ships. Using the latest robotics technology, the ‘Armada’ fleet will safely operate with little or no crew onboard whilst under supervision from land based Remote Control Centres. The fleet will provide safer and more sustainable services to all corners of the maritime industry from offshore energy, to logistics and transport.
Integrated Systems
Find out more about Whale Watching from Space by reading this article from British Antartic Society.
Please note this article is only available in English.
Ocean Networks
Sonardyne improves the safety and efficiency of water navigation through innovative acoustic signal processing, hardware design and custom engineering. Their Vigilant FLS is a navigation and obstacle sonar which gives you a live 3D view of the seabed ahead with automated alarms. Vigilant has two principal operational modes, Depth mode and Sonar mode. Sonar mode processes the intensity of the acoustic data to extract long-range positional data. In this mode, the sonar returns are used to generate CAD markers which alert the operator (a AI-based processor) to the presence of a navigationally relevant obstacle, such as coral reefs, rocks, containers or even small ice bergs.
Integrated Systems
With no human crew, the Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) uses AI and the energy from the sun to travel further and reveal more about the ocean. IBM is supporting marine research organisation Promare to provide a flexible, cost-effective platform for deepening understanding of climate change, ocean plastic pollution and marine mammal conservation. In parallel transforming other ocean based industries such as shipping, and security and defence.