Qii.AI has entered into a license and AI customization agreement with Canada’s Naval Engineering Test Establishment (NETE) to provide the Qii platform in the Royal Canadian Navy’s ship inspection program.
Using the Qii.AI system, ship inspections from drone imagery can be completed in a fraction of the time taken for traditional methods. Artificial Intelligence then accelerates the process even more by automating the detection and measurement of issues in need of remediation, like corrosion or other problems.
According to Qii.AI CEO, Michael H. Cohen, there is potential for the technology that Qii.AI is providing to the Canadian Navy to be applied broadly across military and non-military shipping assets, and that he hopes this is the first of many such engagements with the Canadian Armed Forces as well as NATO partner forces.
He said: “We are extremely proud of the success we have had so far in working with the Canadian Navy through its Sandbox program, to bring this project to this point, and we are extremely excited to commence work customizing the full spectrum of our technological capabilities, from thermal, to visual, to sonar, to fit the Navy’s unique needs. We’re very confident that once we have shown the efficiency and accuracy that we can add for Canada’s naval inspection program, other branches of the military and partner militaries will take notice.”
While the Qii.AI platform provides the data analytics, the visual data gathering part of the Navy’s new ship-inspection program will be carried out using small inspection drones from Skydio.
Skydio cofounder and CEO Adam Bry added: “Autonomous drones will revolutionize naval inspections by creating comprehensive digital copies of vessels. Skydio 3D Scan automates the capture process, and partnering with Qii.AI enables an end-to-end AI-driven workflow to help operators make better decisions faster. We are excited to help build this program for the Royal Canadian Navy, and are looking forward to more success in this sector.”
