Below the Surface:
An AI and Drones Expedition

Below the Surface:
An AI and Drones Expedition

The Parley* SnotBot Expedition

Every second breath we take comes from the ocean. Today, our oceans and marine life face greater dangers than ever before. To protect them, we need to understand what’s threatening their ecosystem. This is why Intel is collaborating with Parley for the Oceans and a team of marine biologists on a mission to use artificial intelligence and drones to collect data from the ocean’s most important mammal: the whale.1

Meet the Team

Cyrill Gutsch,
CEO and Founder, Parley for the Oceans

Cyrill Gutsch is an advocate for our oceans and a pioneer in new approaches to protect them. His organization, Parley for the Oceans, is the network where creators, thinkers, and leaders come together to raise awareness for the beauty and fragility of the oceans and collaborate on projects that can end their destruction.

Learn more ›

Dr. Iain Kerr,
Chief Science Officer, Parley for the Oceans

Dr. Iain Kerr has dedicated his life to advancing marine research through technology and has led research expeditions across the world for 20 years. His knowledge of our environment is guiding the future of ocean research.

Ted Willke,
Artificial Intelligence Researcher, Intel Labs

Ted Willke is an expert in the fields of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data mining. He and his team’s application of this technology to whale research have enabled marine biologists to gain deep insights on whale populations at greater speeds than ever before.

The Technology Behind the Expedition2

Artificial intelligence and drones are empowering researchers with next-level data on the health of our oceans. Intel® Movidius™ and Xeon® technology is delivering actionable, real-time data in the field, making data collection more efficient, more relevant, and more powerful. Learn more about how the technology is changing the face of whale research.

Below the Surface: Behind the Tech

Intel® Artificial Intelligence technology is contributing to great advances in the study of our whales and oceans. Learn more about the technology behind the Parley SnotBot mission from Intel® AI expert, Ted Willke.

Learn more about Intel® Artificial Intelligence ›

Identifying Whales in the Wild

Identifying Whales in the Wild

A custom drone is used to do two things: capture biological samples from a whale that can be used to genetically profile the animal and test for illnesses, such as infections; and capture video footage of the whales themselves. The video is downloaded in real-time to an Intel® Core™ i7 brand powered laptop on the ship, equipped with an Intel® Movidius™ Neural Compute Stick (NCS) that uses machine learning algorithms to match the patterns on the whales (or its “fingerprint”) to a database, identifying individual whales in real-time.

Learn more about Intel® Movidius™ brand

Assessing Real-Time Health Data

Assessing Real-Time Health Data

The same technology that identifies the whale is used to assess the animal’s health in real-time. A Xeon-powered machine processes the whale footage collected by drone, delivering volumetric data which tells us the animal’s length, weight, and the overall health of the animal compared to its pod.

Learn more about Intel® Xeon® powered machine processes

Learn More About the Expedition

Parley* SnotBot is a collaborative mission to gather data from whales and the oceans using transformative, non-invasive technology tools like modified drones that collect the blow, or snot, exhaled from whales when they surface to breathe, and artificial intelligence to analyze the results in real time. See the story of the scientists and Intel technologists who are changing the face of marine research.

A New Era of Ocean Research

We’re just beginning to explore the impact of AI on ocean research. Get a closer look at the technology behind the expedition and how it helps us better understand the health of our oceans.

When a whale is spotted, the team quickly assembles and launches a custom drone from the deck of the ship. With a limited window to capture the data needed for the mission, time is of the essence.

A single sample collected from the whale blow can open up a whole world of health data for marine biologists. After these samples are collected, they are sent to a team of researchers at the University of Alaska, who extract more information about what’s affecting the animal, including bacteria, stress, and toxicity.

The drone is also used to capture extensive video footage of the whales. This footage is downloaded in real-time to a Intel® Core™ i7 brand powered laptop on the ship, equipped with an Intel® Movidius™ Neural Compute Stick (NCS). The workstation uses AI and machine learning algorithms to match the shape of the whale’s tail to a database, which identifies the individual whale in real-time.

These machine learning algorithms also use the video footage to assess the size and shape of the whale’s body. This volumetric data is used to create a Body Composite Index, an overall health score of the whale compared to the other whales in its pod.

Our expedition on the Alaskan seas was just the beginning of this exciting new era for ocean research. As technology advances, we can continue to learn more about the connections between the health of our whales, our oceans, and ultimately, the future of humanity.

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Product and Performance Information

1

Samples and footage collected under NMFS permit #18636.

2

Intel® technologies' features and benefits depend on system configuration and may require enabled hardware, software or service activation. Performance varies depending on system configuration. No computer system can be absolutely secure. Check with your system manufacturer or retailer or learn more at https://www.intel.com.

*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.