Thanks to AI, it’s now possible to harvest previously unusable information from satellite data – and leverage it to unlock new applications and generate enormous economic, environmental and social benefits. Here, CGI Earth Observation Consultant presents five practical examples that have the potential to impact all of us.

Darmstadt / May 20, 2021 – The first Sputnik satellite ushered us in the space age back in 1957, a milestone whose consequences have permanently changed life on earth. Today more than 3,000 satellites are spinning above our heads, delivering millions of data bits per second to receiving stations around the globe. They help us do everyday things like forecast the weather or, even more mundanely, search for parking spaces. But until recently, we were still far from tapping the full potential of all these data. Their sheer volume stood in the way of mining all the information nuggets that were constantly raining down from orbit. Valuable facts went unused. But thanks to the methods and analytical abilities of artificial intelligence, we are now in a position to change this and begin a new chapter of the space age story. The IT consulting company, CGI has identified five important applications and scenarios for AI-supported analysis of data from the space:

1. Natural catastrophes: When forest fires, floods, earthquakes, or similar natural catastrophes occur, it’s essential to provide fast, targeted aid assistance. AI-supported evaluation of satellite data can reveal the full extent and location of damage and provide rescue teams with the information they need to do their jobs effectively, such as updated, highly detailed road maps. In this way, AI helps contain damage and alleviate human suffering.
2. Public transportation: Highly differentiated, sophisticated societies depend on logistical systems that operate smoothly, day in and day out. When a tree falls on a railway track, for instance, it can not only provoke a tragic accident but also cause traffic obstruction, paralyzing transportation systems and bringing just-in-time supply systems to a grinding halt. The operators of rail networks therefore consistently need precise, up-to-the-second information on the state of transportation routes. By analyzing image data, AI can quickly detect changes in vegetation to identify accidents and blockades that are waiting to happen.
3. Energy supply: Accidents or equipment failures can inflict immense damage; power outages can paralyze entire industries and regions – not to mention the vast harm that pipeline or power plant accidents can inflict on the environment. Artificial intelligence can help by continuously analyzing data from space and supplying energy suppliers or gas and oil pipeline operators with detailed information that they can use to predict, prevent, and contain accidents and breakdowns. Critical changes and potential sources of problems can be detected at an early stage to minimize harmful effects or take preventive action.
4. Land and soil resources: Land and soil resources are in chronically short supply, and they are getting steadily scarcer. Using them efficiently and sustainably is therefore economically, environmentally, and socially essential. Human history has been consistently marred by conflicts over land ownership, at enormous cost. Now, however, AI-supported evaluation of satellite data can generate high-quality information to enable better, environmentally friendly planning of cities, construction, transportation routes, green areas, and forest and water management while also improving how agricultural land is used.
5. Agriculture and forestry: Thanks to improved land use, agriculture greatly benefits year-round from AI-based evaluation and analysis of satellite data. The European spruce bark beetle, for example, which is devastating forests across Europe, due to constant monitoring is losing at least part of its potential for causing damage. Data analyses are making it possible to monitor the development of crops and spot pest outbreaks before they can get out of hand. They also provide invaluable weather information for identifying droughts and predicting which crops have the best chances of growing well in a given area.

“The combination of space technology and artificial intelligence is giving rise to a new, superior grade of information for important applications that concern all of us,” says Dr. Alen Berta, who leads the Advanced Analytics Knowledge Hub at CGI AI&Smart Data Practice in Germany. “There are virtually no limits to the achievable practical benefits of AI-supported satellite data analyses. Space is thus once again stimulating creative minds and unleashing an enormous wave of innovation.”

CGI has been delivering complex, mission-critical space solutions for clients across Europe, Asia and North America supporting satellite navigation, communications and operations, to space enabled applications for over 40 years.

About CGI

Established in 1976, the CGI Group ranks among the world’s largest independent providers of IT and business process services. With 77,000 consultants and other experts around the globe, it offers a broad portfolio of services ranging from strategic IT and business consulting across system integration, managed IT and business process services to intellectual property solutions. It leverages its strong customer focus and flexible global network of service providers to help clients worldwide digitalize their organizational structures and achieve success faster. CGI reported global sales of 12.16 billion Canadian dollars in the 2020 fiscal year, and its shares are listed on TSY (GIB.A) and NYSE (GIB). Website: www.cgi.com

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