north.io AI-showcase selected for new state-produced documentary series

A distinguished visitor. The state of Schleswig-Holstein is currently filming a multi-part documentary series about outstanding projects and innovations relating to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the state.

The Kiel-based company north.io, which has been supporting the explosive ordnance disposal service in Schleswig-Holstein in particular since 2011, has now also been selected for the series, as it is using its AI to drive forward the remediation of contaminated military sites in the North and Baltic Seas. For the AmuCad.org munitions cadastre developed by north.io, for example, the company has already been awarded first place in the "Best of Digitales.SH" digitalisation prize in 2021, which was presented personally by Digitalisation Minister Jan Philipp Albrecht.

To gain an insight into the work with artificial intelligence at north.io, the well-known ZDF journalist Alex Ruda visited the company at the Kiel branch with his camera team.  As the presenter of the documentary, which is intended to appeal to and inform a wide audience in the country, he wanted to find out more about north.io's work. For example, what role do digitalisation and the use of AI play in munitions clearance at sea and what advantages does this bring?

Background: Even decades after the world wars, millions of tonnes of unexploded ordnance and dumped munitions are still rusting away in the oceans. They pose an acute threat to the environment, shipping, maritime infrastructure and the safety of people around the world.

north.io CEO Jann Wendt took Alex Ruda on a "deep dive" into the pressing problem of munitions disposal and vividly explained how north.io uses deep learning.

This is a machine learning method in which artificial neural networks are used to recognise complex patterns in data and learn from them. Algorithms play an important role here, as they train the artificial neural networks to recognise patterns in the data and make predictions.

north.io has already been using deep learning for some time to speed up the processing of hundreds of thousands of historical documents and extract relevant information. This allows contaminated sites and other remnants of war to be localised and removed from the sea. However, AI is also to be used for other tasks such as protecting critical infrastructure at sea.

"We were delighted to win first place in the Digitalisation Award 2021 and now to be selected by the state of Schleswig-Holstein and to be visited by the film team, because it shows that we are on the right track. It also gives our company the opportunity to once again draw attention to the important issue of munitions in the sea,"

says Jann Wendt and adds

"Viewers can look forward to the finished film, which we will also make available on our website.

If you would like to find out more about the topic of  "munitions in the sea",  you will find a good overview in the conference recap of the Kiel Munition Clearance Week, which north.io organised in 2021 with the support of the state of Schleswig-Holstein.

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