April 23, 2024 — Earth observation (EO) and particle physics research have more in common than you might think. In both environments, whether capturing fleeting particle collisions or detecting fleeting traces of ocean plastics, rapid and accurate data analysis is essential.
CERN’s expertise in data management is being leveraged to combat marine plastic waste through the new European Edge SpAIce project.
CERN is delighted to present a new EU project, Edge spacing. It uses CERN’s cutting-edge AI technology to monitor Earth’s ecosystems from space to detect and track plastic pollution in our oceans.
“In particle physics, the trigger system plays a critical role in quickly determining which particle detector data should be retained, since only a small fraction of the 40 million collision snapshots taken every second can be recorded. As the influx of data at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has increased dramatically over the years, physicists and computer scientists are continually innovating to improve this process – and that’s where AI technology comes into play said Sioni Summers, a CERN physicist working on the CMS experiment at the LHC, who is overseeing this work.
Edge SpAIce is a collaborative initiative involving CERN, EnduroSat (BG) and NTU Athens (GR) and coordinated by AGENIUM space. Its objective is to develop an on-board system specially designed for satellites which will acquire and process high-resolution images using a DNN (Deep Neural Network). The system will use the “Edge AI” approach, in which data is processed in near real time directly on the satellite, mirroring the efficient filtering of LHC data in CERN’s particle detectors.
This means that it is not necessary to transmit all captured data back to Earth, but only relevant information – in this case, the presence of marine plastic waste. The system will also be deployed on FPGA hardware developed in Europe, which will improve competitiveness. This could open the door to a whole new market for EO services and applications.
As modern life increasingly relies on technology, the solution proposed by the project perfectly responds to the growing demand for data processing and the rapid expansion of Earth observation satellites. By eliminating the need for heavy processing in Earth-based data centers, it not only reduces the carbon footprint, but also helps ease the burden on these facilities.
This innovative approach offers potential for broader applications in areas such as agriculture, urban planning, disaster relief and climate change. Additionally, this technology will provide environmental scientists and policy makers with invaluable data for targeted cleanup operations. This will advance our understanding of plastic pollution patterns, thereby improving our ability to effectively address environmental challenges.
“AGENIUM Space is delighted to have found synergies with CERN in developing innovative solutions for the future of our planet,” said Dr. Andis Dembovskis, Head of Business Development at AGENIUM Space.
The Edge SpAIce project illustrates how creative thinking from partners in diverse fields can lead to a collaborative knowledge transfer project that tackles major societal challenges. To find out how other CERN knowledge transfer and innovation projects are having a positive impact on the environment, please visit: https://kt.cern/environment.
Source: Marzena Lapka, CERN
