Arctic Risk AI Platform

Core Capabilities

Four pillars of polar maritime intelligence

1 Route Risk Assessment

Analyze maritime routes for ice-related hazards with machine learning-powered risk scoring. Draw any route on the map and receive a comprehensive risk assessment in under 2 seconds.

Risk scores from 0-100 with categorical ratings (low/moderate/high)
Actionable advisories for vessel operators and route planners
Real NSIDC satellite data when available, synthetic fallback for testing
Environmental context including ice concentration, temperature, and proximity metrics
Confidence scoring based on data source quality

2 Live Vessel Tracking

Monitor 25+ ice-capable vessels in real-time via AIS data streaming. Track icebreakers, research vessels, expedition ships, cargo vessels, and support tugs across polar regions.

Real-time position, heading, speed, and destination information
Color-coded markers by vessel category and operational status
Continuous updates via WebSocket connection
Individual vessel follow and tracking capabilities
Fleet filtering by category, ice class, or geographic region

3 Northwest Passage Analysis

Evaluate traversability of Northern and Southern routes through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Critical intelligence for commercial shipping, research expeditions, and icebreaker operations.

Comparative analysis of Northern (Parry Channel) vs Southern (Amundsen Gulf) routes
Ice conditions at key chokepoints: Lancaster Sound, Barrow Strait, McClure Strait, Victoria Strait
Vessel requirements based on ice conditions (ice class, icebreaker escort)
Transit time estimates based on current conditions
Historical trend analysis and seasonal variability

4 Environmental Monitoring

Access real-time environmental data from NSIDC satellites and other authoritative sources. 25km resolution polar stereographic grid updated daily.

Ice concentration data (0-100%) with spatial coverage maps
Sea surface temperature proxies for ice edge analysis
Ice edge proximity calculations for route planning
Historical trend analysis for climate monitoring
Interactive heatmap visualization with opacity controls

How It Works

From route planning to risk prediction in seconds

Step 1: Interactive Map Interface

Mapbox-based visualization with click-to-draw route planning. View real-time ice concentration heatmaps and vessel markers. Select from 25 tracked vessels or draw custom routes.

Step 2: Data Collection

System fetches relevant NSIDC ice data for your route bounding box. Loads AIS vessel history and environmental variables. All data cached for optimal performance.

Step 3: Machine Learning Analysis

PyTorch neural network analyzes ice concentration statistics, ice edge proximity, vessel behavior patterns, and sea surface temperature gradients.

Step 4: Risk Score & Advisory

Receive 0-100 risk score with categorical rating. Actionable advisory includes vessel requirements, icebreaker escort recommendations, and route optimization suggestions.

Step 5: Real-Time Updates

WebSocket connection provides continuous updates as ice conditions change or vessels move. Subscribe to specific routes or risk ranges for automated alerts.

Performance Characteristics

Built for speed and scale

<2s

Route Risk Prediction

<50ms

Vessel Position Lookup

<1s

Live AIS Feed Latency

90%

Cache Hit Rate

25km

Data Resolution

Daily

Satellite Updates

Real-World Use Cases

Supporting diverse polar operations

Arctic Shipping Operations

Commercial cargo vessel planning Bering Strait crossing during summer season

Plan: Draw route through strait on interactive map
Assess: Check current ice conditions and risk score
Decide: Determine if ice-class vessel needed based on advisory
Monitor: Receive real-time updates during transit via WebSocket
Adapt: Adjust route if conditions change unexpectedly

Research Expedition Planning

University research ship planning summer Arctic cruise for oceanographic study

Compare: Evaluate multiple route options for optimal access
Analyze: Compare Northern vs Southern NWP routes
Time: Identify optimal timing based on ice forecasts
Track: Monitor other research vessels in region for coordination
Alert: Receive alerts for unexpected ice movement

Icebreaker Escort Coordination

Coast Guard coordinating icebreaker support for cargo convoy through heavy ice

Track: Monitor all vessels in escort group via MMSI
Assess: Monitor ice conditions along planned route
Subscribe: Use risk stream for automatic updates
Position: Adjust escort positioning based on ice concentrations
Report: Generate reports for maritime authorities

Climate Research & Analysis

Scientists studying Arctic ice decline trends and vessel behavior changes

Query: Access historical risk inference logs via PostGIS
Analyze: Time-series ice concentration data analysis
Correlate: Vessel behavior patterns with ice conditions
Identify: Changing navigation patterns over time
Publish: Generate visualizations for research publications

Emergency Response

Vessel in distress in heavy ice requiring immediate rescue coordination

Locate: Find nearest icebreakers via fleet registry
Route: Assess risk of multiple rescue approach paths
Identify: Determine safest and fastest route to distressed vessel
Coordinate: Multi-vessel response with real-time tracking
Monitor: Track ice drift during operation for safety

Geographic Coverage

Arctic

≥65°N

Bering Strait, Northwest Passage, Barrow Strait, Viscount Melville Sound, Lancaster Sound, Parry Channel, Amundsen Gulf, Barents Sea, Greenland waters, Labrador Sea

Antarctic

≤-50°S

Ross Sea, Weddell Sea, Drake Passage, Bellingshausen Sea, Amundsen Sea, Southern Ocean shipping lanes, McMurdo Sound, Antarctic Peninsula approaches

Current Limitations

Transparency in capabilities

Data Constraints

NSIDC data has 2-day processing lag from satellite acquisition
25km resolution limits fine-grained tactical routing
No real-time iceberg tracking (under development)
Coverage limited to polar regions (≥65°N, ≤-50°S)

Model Limitations

Synthetic fallback data less accurate than NSIDC satellite observations
Neural network trained on limited historical dataset (expanding)
No wave height or detailed weather integration yet
Vessel-specific capabilities beyond ice class not yet modeled

Operational Constraints

Requires active internet connection for live features
AIS coverage spotty in remote Arctic regions
No persistent user accounts (stateless API design)
Fleet registry limited to 25 pre-selected vessels (expandable)