Defence Data, Machine Learning and AI
Recent examples of sector transformation have been seen through the adoption of data-driven and Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions. As AI and digital technologies become more widely deployed, data handling will become increasingly complex. Data must be seen as a strategic asset. AI could fundamentally transform the Defence and Security sectors, with the UK having the potential to lead the way especially when academia, industry and government collaborate. Exeter has rich set of data science and AI capabilities with expertise in digital transformation, data science, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.
Exeter’s Institute of Data Science and AI (IDSAI) is a global leader in ethical, interdisciplinary AI an data-science research. It provides a hub for data-intensive science and AI activity across the University and the wider region. Its focus is developing new means of interrogating and understanding data by applying cutting-edge data analytical methodologies to diverse questions.
The Initiative for the Digital Economy at Exeter (INDEX) provides practical insights and measurable impact to organisations looking to address the effects of digital disruption and to take operational advantage of the emerging digital economy. They bring expertise in digital transformation and strategy.
The Defence Data Research Centre is a transdisciplinary research centre that recognises the importance of data and the urgent need for a cross-disciplinary approach. Their objective is to help the UK defence sector overcome their technical, cultural, and behavioural barriers to the use of data within AI and Data Science. This is achieved by delivering practical insights to advance the use of data for Artificial Intelligence applications; investigating data-driven decision making within a defence context; and exploring how solutions and mitigations developed by the Centre could be applied elsewhere to benefit the wider UK economy. DDRC leads the Digital Disruption in Defence Consortium: an international consortium of leading Defence research scholars.
Members of Exeter’s DSR network, have undertaken research projects in many different areas. Project partners have included Defence Science Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Babcock, Qinetiq and Thales. Project outputs, successfully delivered with industry partners, include:
- Significant improvements to the safety of maritime launch and recovery operations by providing short-term predictions of the profiles of the waves
- A multi-light imaging method for extracting images of latent fingerprints from difficult surfaces, such as lightbulbs
- Identifying where an AI solution would be most beneficial to a stakeholder and delivering a roadmap for them to use
- An education programme, tailored for stakeholder, to upskill individuals within the area of AI and understand the principles/ethics of AI.
