# Skeye — Full Content > Complete content index for LLM consumption > Generated: 2026-10-14 | Posts: 44 --- ## Pricing URL: https://www.myskeye.com/pricing/ Type: page Modified: 2026-09-25 Pay only for the area you monitor €2per km² per month One simple rate for satellite monitoring and AI analysis, with unlimited users. Start with a free pilot on your own area and scale up when you’ve seen the results. Request a free pilot Compare plans Start small, scale by area Every engagement begins with a free pilot. After that, you pay only for the square kilometres you monitor. Where everyone starts Free Pilot Prove Skeye on one area before you commit. Scoped with our team for your area One area of interest, using your parcels or ours Current and historical satellite imagery analysis AI land-use classification per parcel Vegetation (NDVI) and bare-soil results Results walkthrough with our team Request a free pilot Monitoring Ongoing monitoring once the pilot proves out. €2 / km² / monthBilled on the area you monitor Everything in the pilot, on a regular schedule Change over time for every parcel Email and in-app alerts when a parcel changes status Import your own parcel boundaries (GeoPackage) Multiple regions and parcel datasets Unlimited user accounts Request a quote Enterprise For agencies and groups covering regions or countries. CustomVolume pricing for large areas Everything in Monitoring Separate workspaces for teams or departments Onboarding and training for your staff Priority support Talk to us Included in every plan No per-seat fees and no add-ons for the core analysis. Unlimited users Invite your whole team, inspectors and field staff included. Sourcing satellite imagery We find, source and process the imagery for you. AI land-use classification AI maps every land-use type inside each parcel, measures how much area each covers and reports the main use, flagging where it differs from your records. Vegetation and bare soil NDVI and bare-soil status per capture date. Notifications Know when an analysis finishes or a parcel changes. Audit trail A record of every import, analysis and change. Questions How is the price calculated? Monitoring costs €2 per km² per month, based on the total area you monitor. Very large areas are priced on an Enterprise agreement. Do I pay for each user? No. Every plan includes unlimited user accounts. Can I use my own parcel boundaries? Yes. You can upload your own parcels. If you don’t have boundaries, we can work from a cadastral reference layer. What happens after the pilot? If the results are useful, we move you to a Monitoring or Enterprise plan with the same setup, so nothing needs to be redone. Request your free pilot --- ## free-pilot URL: https://www.myskeye.com/free-pilot/ Type: page Modified: 2026-09-25 Free pilot See Skeye working on your own land Tell us about the area you want to monitor. A few lines are enough, and we’ll come back with a scoped pilot proposal. You describe the area and the questionWhat land, and what you need to know about it. We scope it with youA short call to agree on the area, dates and deliverables. We give you access to the pilotYou get your own Skeye account, so you can log in any time and see the results on your land. Leave this empty Full name Work email Organisation What do you want to monitor? Where the land is, what you want to find out, and any data you already have. Request my free pilot We only use your details to reply to your pilot request. What’s in the pilot Real results on your area, so you can judge Skeye before you commit. Your area of interest Using your parcel boundaries, or a cadastral layer if you don’t have them. Current and historical imagery Satellite captures sourced and processed for you. AI land-use classification AI maps every land-use type inside each parcel, measures how much area each covers and reports the main use, flagging where it differs from your records. Vegetation and bare soil NDVI and bare-soil status per capture date. Unlimited users Bring in everyone who needs to see the results. Your own Skeye account Log in any time to explore your pilot results. See pricing after the pilot --- ## Agriculture URL: https://www.myskeye.com/agriculture/ Type: page Modified: 2026-09-16 Skeye For Agriculture & Farming Skeye’s AI-Powered Geospatial Analytics enables governmental agencies and agricultural organisations to make smarter, data-driven decisions. Our advanced object detection technology identifies and monitors key agricultural assets, from crop fields and irrigation systems to farm infrastructure, all remotely. Transforming Land Management with Intelligent Automation Custom Dataset Creation Skeye developed a specialized training dataset using satellite imagery and local geospatial data from various regions with diverse terrains and land-use patterns. This ensured that the AI model was tailored to recognize distinct geographical characteristics, including variations in landscape, vegetation, and the size of features such as agricultural fields, making it adaptable and accurate across different environments. Automatic Land Use Comparison Skeye’s Automatic Land Use Comparison system uses advanced AI to seamlessly match predicted land use with official land records. By automatically detecting discrepancies, it empowers organizations to quickly identify and review potential inaccuracies, improving transparency, efficiency, and decision-making in land management. Seamless GPKG Integration Skeye’s Smart Data Integration feature ensures effortless compatibility with existing land management systems. The AI model’s output is delivered in standardized GPKG files, preserving field geometries and enabling easy querying of attribute tables. This streamlined format allows organizations to detect changes and identify discrepancies instantly, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual processing. Significant Time Savings Manual land use verification often takes months to complete. With Skeye’s **Automated Land Use Verification**, this process is accelerated to just days or weeks. By dramatically reducing review times, organizations can process applications faster, enhance accuracy, and achieve greater overall operational efficiency. Soil Health and Nutrient Managment From soil data to growth. Understand and manage your soil like never before. Through advanced satellite imagery and AI analytics, the platform identifies variations in soil quality, moisture levels, and nutrient distribution across entire fields, even before crops are planted.   By accurately detecting bare soil characteristics, such as texture, organic matter, and moisture retention, Skeye provides crucial insights for optimizing fertilizer use, irrigation planning, and seed selection. This enables data-driven decisions that enhance crop growth, improve sustainability, and reduce environmental impact. Monitor Land Use Intelligence for productive lands. Understand how land is used and transformed over time with Skeye’s AI-powered satellite analytics. The platform automatically identifies arable land, crop boundaries, and land use changes, providing a clear, up-to-date view of agricultural activity. By tracking field expansion, fallow zones, and encroachments, Skeye enables smarter planning, sustainable resource management, and data-driven policy decisions. From governmental agencies to agricultural organisations, Skeye empowers users to optimize land productivity and support sustainable agricultural growth, turning satellite data into actionable insight for a more resilient future. Yield Prediction and Harvest Planning Smarter Insights, Bigger Yields. Skeye leverages AI and satellite-based analytics to track crop growth and environmental conditions, providing accurate yield predictions. With these insights,better harvest planning schedules,storage optimizing and logistics, and make informed decisions on market timing and resource management.   Smart Agriculture Stay Ahead with Skeye Skeye brings precision and efficiency to modern farming. Our AI-powered platform reduces the effort of crop scouting, enables targeted disease control, supports data-driven management, and improves resource allocation for higher yields and sustainability. Skeye helps agriculture thrive through clear, actionable insights from above.     Get Started Agricultural Land Change Monitoring See how agricultural land changes over time. Skeye uses satellite imagery and AI to automatically analyse agricultural areas, identify land-use and land-cover changes, and monitor changes in field conditions over time. Land Use & Land Cover Automatically classify agricultural and surrounding land areas to build an up-to-date picture of land use. Change Detection Compare satellite observations over time to identify changes in agricultural areas, field boundaries, vegetation and land cover. Land Condition Monitor visible indicators such as bare soil, fallow land and vegetation patterns to better understand agricultural land conditions. Large-Scale Monitoring Analyse extensive agricultural areas quickly and consistently using automated satellite imagery and AI, reducing the need for manual inspection. --- ## Skeye URL: https://www.myskeye.com/ Type: page Modified: 2026-09-08 Your Eye In The Sky We offer a web-based geospatial analytics service using AI and remote sensing. Get Started Learn More Effortlessly search your satellite images. Advanced Object Recognition Skeye uses satellite imagery and AI to monitor land use, land status, vegetation, and environmental change. Turning large volumes of satellite data into clear, actionable insights and understanding how land is used and how it changes over time. Powerful Analytics Extract valuable data and generate reports to support your decision-making. Intuitive Map Interface Easily navigate, select areas of interest, and visualize data on our interactive map. Flexible Satellite Options Analyse your own satellite imagery or leverage Skeye’s extensive satellite image library. A geospatial analytics platform providing you insights from satellite imagery. About Skeye Our AI models can automatically detect and locate a wide range of objects, from agricultural fields and stadiums to bridges and even solar panels. This allows businesses and organisations to make informed decisions, optimize operations, and gain a competitive edge. Get Started Discover how we can help you get the results from satellite images. Get Started Agriculture Assess crop health, optimize irrigation, and predict yields with precision. Learn More Construction ​ Streamline operations, improve decision-making. Learn More Port Operations Monitor vessel movements, optimize cargo handling, and predict port traffic with precision. Learn More Environmental Monitoring Track deforestation, assess damage from natural disasters, and protect critical habitats. Learn More Forestry Count trees, assess forest health, optimise resource management, and predict growth and yield with precision. Learn More Mining Monitor project progress, optimize resource allocation, and predict timelines with precision. Learn More Compare satellite imagery and spot what changed View two dates, layers, or datasets of the same location side by side and understand what changed in seconds. No GIS expertise required. Explore the Tool Drag the slider to compare Frequently Asked Questions How much does Skeye cost? Skeye adapts to your needs, from single-area analysis to large-scale monitoring. Get flexible pricing designed around your project size and data requirements. Get Your Quote How do I start using Skeye? To start using Skeye just fill in the Get Started form. We will get in  touch with you and get you started in no time. What sets Skeye apart from geospatial analytics platforms? Skeye provides an interface where any user can analyse the contents of a satellite image without requiring any technical background or any knowledge of remote sensing, AI or geospatial analytics.  How accurate are Skeye’s AI models in object detection? Skeye’s AI models are on average 98% accurate with most satellite images. There could be certain scenarios or exceptions in the satellite imagery that can make the accuracy go down. In such case we can work with you to increase the accuracy back towards the 98% range.  What types of objects can Skeye’s AI detect in satellite images? Skeye’s AI-powered geospatial analytics can automatically detect and recognize various objects, including agricultural fields, stadiums, bridges, swimming pools, airstrips, airports, solar panels, water reservoirs, parking lots, harbors, ships, vehicles, and more. Our advanced object recognition technology helps businesses and organizations extract valuable insights for better decision-making. Skeye adapts to your needs, from single-area analysis to large-scale monitoring. Get flexible pricing designed around your project size and data requirements. Get Your Quote To start using Skeye just fill in the Get Started form. We will get in  touch with you and get you started in no time. Skeye provides an interface where any user can analyse the contents of a satellite image without requiring any technical background or any knowledge of remote sensing, AI or geospatial analytics.  Skeye’s AI models are on average 98% accurate with most satellite images. There could be certain scenarios or exceptions in the satellite imagery that can make the accuracy go down. In such case we can work with you to increase the accuracy back towards the 98% range.  Skeye’s AI-powered geospatial analytics can automatically detect and recognize various objects, including agricultural fields, stadiums, bridges, swimming pools, airstrips, airports, solar panels, water reservoirs, parking lots, harbors, ships, vehicles, and more. Our advanced object recognition technology helps businesses and organizations extract valuable insights for better decision-making. --- ## Research URL: https://www.myskeye.com/research/ Type: page Modified: 2026-08-31 Skeye Research Areas Overview Agriculture Crop Identification We are researching AI-powered crop identification using satellite imagery, aerial data, and machine learning to classify different crop types across agricultural areas. This work aims to support better monitoring of land use, crop distribution, and agricultural activity over time. By identifying crops more accurately and consistently, this research can help authorities, farmers, and organisations improve planning, reporting, and decision-making in the agricultural sector. Aerial imagery of distinct crop parcels the kind of field-level variation our models learn to classify. Land Use · Urban Planning Vacant and Derelict Land We are exploring methods to detect and monitor vacant and derelict land using geospatial data, satellite imagery, and AI-based analysis. This research focuses on identifying unused, abandoned, or underutilised land areas that may require further inspection, rehabilitation, or policy action. The goal is to provide clearer visibility over land condition and usage, helping support urban planning, environmental management, and sustainable land development. A vacant parcel outlined against surrounding housing the kind of underused land this research aims to detect and monitor. Agronomy · Soil Health Soil Health & Agronomy We are researching how satellite imagery, vegetation indices, agronomic data, and soil health information can support better fertilisation planning and crop management. This includes analysing crop health, vegetation patterns, soil conditions, and field variability to better understand where agricultural inputs may be needed and how management practices can improve overall crop productivity and soil performance. This research aims to support more efficient farming practices, reduce unnecessary fertiliser use, and improve decision-making for healthier and more productive crops. A vegetation-index heatmap over fields highlighting variability in crop health that guides where inputs are needed. Environment · Land Degradation Desertification We are investigating the use of satellite imagery and environmental indicators to monitor desertification and land degradation. This research focuses on detecting changes in vegetation cover, soil exposure, and land condition over time. By identifying early signs of degradation, this work can help support mitigation strategies, environmental monitoring, and long-term land preservation efforts. The same region at two points in time the kind of change in vegetation and soil exposure this research tracks to detect land degradation. Oil & Gas · Critical Infrastructure Critical Infrastructure Monitoring We are exploring methods to monitor pipelines, storage facilities, and other critical infrastructure using satellite imagery, geospatial data, and AI-based analysis. This research focuses on detecting changes, disturbances, and potentially risky activity across large infrastructure corridors and rights-of-way. The goal is to provide earlier and clearer visibility of activities such as third-party construction, excavation, encroachment, land-use changes, and vegetation disturbance. Detected changes can be reviewed through reports showing where and when an event occurred, helping teams identify areas that may require further inspection or investigation. Satellite-based monitoring can also complement technologies such as drone inspections and Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS). Skeye provides wide-area coverage to identify and prioritize areas of interest, while other technologies can be used to investigate higher-risk locations in greater detail. A satellite view of an oil & gas facility and the pipelines and rights-of-way crossing the land around it the kind of infrastructure and third-party activity this research monitors for change. Agriculture · Soil Management Tillage Detection & Regenerative Agriculture We are researching the use of high-resolution satellite imagery, radar data, and machine learning to detect soil tillage and monitor bare soil practices across agricultural land. This work focuses on identifying instances of soil disturbance, tillage intensity, and ground cover retention to support sourcing from farms that practice regenerative agriculture. By reliably distinguishing between tilled fields and minimal-till or no-till practices, this research aims to help supply chain managers, buyers, and agricultural organisations verify sustainable soil management, support carbon farming initiatives, and ensure compliance with regenerative sourcing standards. A satellite view showing bare, tilled soil contrasted with cover-cropped fields highlighting the field-level surface differences this research learns to detect. --- ## Careers – We’re Hiring URL: https://www.myskeye.com/careers/ Type: page Modified: 2026-07-24 CAREERS   We’re hiring. Join the Skeye team. Join us in giving agronomists, environmental scientists, urban planners, foresters, and port, construction and mining professionals a platform that helps them make informed decisions. Skeye is supported by the European Space Agency.   See the open position OPEN POSITIONS   We’re recruiting We are growing our research team. If you love turning satellite imagery into decisions on the ground, we would like to hear from you. Agriculture · Environment · Remote Sensing   Earth Observation Scientist – Agriculture & Environment   Full-time · B’Kara, Malta (hybrid-friendly)   You will turn satellite and aerial imagery into insights that agronomists, environmental scientists and public authorities can act on. You will work across our research areas crop identification, soil health and agronomy, desertification, and land-use monitoring, helping shape a platform supported by the European Space Agency. What you’ll do Design and validate remote-sensing workflows (e.g. Sentinel-1/2, Landsat, aerial imagery) for crop identification, soil health and land-degradation monitoring. Translate agronomic and environmental questions into Earth-observation products: vegetation indices, change detection, classification models. Work with our engineers on training data, ground-truthing and model validation. Analyse field variability to support fertilisation planning and crop-management recommendations. Contribute to research on desertification and vacant & derelict land detection. Communicate findings clearly to farmers, agronomists and authorities.   What we’re looking for Degree in agronomy, environmental science, remote sensing, geography or a related field (MSc/PhD is a plus). Hands-on experience with satellite imagery and GIS, including vegetation indices such as NDVI. Solid understanding of agronomy, crop physiology or environmental-monitoring practice. Python or R for geospatial analysis (e.g. GDAL, rasterio, Google Earth Engine). Clear written and spoken English.   Nice to have Experience with ESA programmes or funded research projects. Machine-learning classification or time-series analysis of EO data. Background in soil science or land-degradation studies.   Send us your details and CV at recruitment@myskeye.com , we review every application and reply to all candidates. --- ## Compare Data on Satellite Images Tool URL: https://www.myskeye.com/compare-data-on-satellite-images-tool/ Type: page Modified: 2026-07-05 Satellite Image Comparison Tool Compare Satellite Images With Ease Understand What Changes In Seconds View two layers, dates, or datasets of the same location side by side and identify changes faster. Change Detection Layer Comparison Spectral Indices AI Validation Land Cover Analysis Drag the slider to compare One tool. Two perspectives. Clearer decisions. Skeye’s Satellite Image Comparison Tool lets you analyse the same area from different perspectives without switching between platforms or managing complex GIS workflows. Compare satellite imagery from different dates, place AI-detected results next to the original imagery, or view spectral indices alongside high-resolution satellite views. The result is a faster, more direct path from data to understanding, whether you’re monitoring land use, tracking construction progress, or validating AI-generated insights directly on the satellite image. What you can compare Satellite images from different acquisition dates Land-use and land-cover changes over time Spectral indices: vegetation, water, soil, built-up AI detection results against the source image Before-and-after views for reporting and monitoring No GIS or remote sensing expertise required Built for teams that monitor the ground from above Agriculture Compare vegetation indices across dates to assess crop health, irrigation patterns, and seasonal change. Environmental Monitoring Compare land cover, water bodies, or forest zones before and after a natural event or intervention. Construction & Infrastructure Track site progress over time using satellite imagery from multiple acquisition dates. Mining & Land Management Monitor site expansion, land disturbance, and rehabilitation against surrounding environmental change. AI Validation Verify detected objects, fields, buildings, solar panels, and vehicles directly against the source imagery. Explore changes directly on the satellite image. See how Skeye helps organisations compare, monitor, and understand locations from above, without specialist tools or technical overhead. Request a Demo --- ## Research URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/research/ Type: post Modified: 2026-06-28 Research Areas Research Areas Continuously Evolving Skeye We are constantly growing and evolving our work, exploring new directions across the following areas. Agriculture · Remote Sensing Crop Identification We are researching AI-powered crop identification using satellite imagery, aerial data, and machine learning to classify different crop types across agricultural areas. This work aims to support better monitoring of land use, crop distribution, and agricultural activity over time. By identifying crops more accurately and consistently, this research can help authorities, farmers, and organisations improve planning, reporting, and decision-making in the agricultural sector. Aerial imagery of distinct crop parcels the kind of field-level variation our models learn to classify. Land Use · Urban Planning Vacant and Derelict Land We are exploring methods to detect and monitor vacant and derelict land using geospatial data, satellite imagery, and AI-based analysis. This research focuses on identifying unused, abandoned, or underutilised land areas that may require further inspection, rehabilitation, or policy action. The goal is to provide clearer visibility over land condition and usage, helping support urban planning, environmental management, and sustainable land development. A vacant parcel outlined against surrounding housing the kind of underused land this research aims to detect and monitor. Agronomy · Crop Health Agronomy We are researching how satellite imagery, vegetation indices, and agronomic data can support better fertilisation planning and crop management. This includes analysing crop health, vegetation patterns, and field variability to better understand where agricultural inputs may be needed. This research aims to support more efficient farming practices, reduce unnecessary fertiliser use, and improve decision-making for healthier and more productive crops. A vegetation-index heatmap over fields — highlighting variability in crop health that guides where inputs are needed. Environment · Land Degradation Desertification We are investigating the use of satellite imagery and environmental indicators to monitor desertification and land degradation. This research focuses on detecting changes in vegetation cover, soil exposure, and land condition over time. By identifying early signs of degradation, this work can help support mitigation strategies, environmental monitoring, and long-term land preservation efforts. The same region at two points in time the kind of change in vegetation and soil exposure this research tracks to detect land degradation. --- ## Mining URL: https://www.myskeye.com/mining/ Type: page Modified: 2026-05-07 Skeye For Mining Industry Skeye helps you understand how up to date Earth- Observation data supports every stage of the mining lifecycle from exploration to closure. Our platform helps you use the right up to date Earth Observation data to properly manage mineral exploration projects and connect with key data sources. Mine Site Change Detection Monitor What Changes. Skeye helps mining teams and environmental monitoring teams to track changes across active and inactive mine sites using AI and satellite imagery. By identifying new excavation areas, stockpile movement, land disturbance, vegetation changes and infrastructure changes, Skeye supports better site visibility, faster reporting, and more informed operational planning across large mining environments. Haul Road Monitoring & Maintenance Accuracy at Scale. Skeye helps mining operators improve safety and reduce downtime by monitoring haul road conditions using AI and satellite imagery. By detecting and mapping road damage such as cracks, potholes, and surface degradation, Skeye enables faster inspections, better maintenance planning, and full visibility across large mining areas. Geospatial Data Analysis for Mining Exploration Explore Transformation. Skeye uses AI-driven geospatial analysis on high-resolution satellite imagery to identify potential mining sites. By detecting geological patterns, surface indicators, and anomalies, Skeye helps streamline exploration, reducing time, cost, and reliance on traditional surveying methods. Smart Mining Stay Ahead With Skeye. Skeye brings precision and efficiency to mining and infrastructure mapping. Its AI-powered platform detects and maps mine structures, monitors changes across sites, and supports smarter planning of operations and resources. With satellite-based insights from above, Skeye helps mining organizations make faster, safer, and more informed decisions. Get Started --- ## Compare Data On Satellite Images. URL: https://www.myskeye.com/compare-data-on-satellite-images/ Type: page Modified: 2026-05-04 --- ## Get Started URL: https://www.myskeye.com/get_started/ Type: page Modified: 2026-04-23 Get Started We’re excited to hear about your requirements, no matter how big or small.  --- ## Construction URL: https://www.myskeye.com/construction/ Type: page Modified: 2026-04-23 Skeye For Construction Skeye’s AI-Powered Geospatial Analytics empowers construction companies and infrastructure agencies to make smarter, data-driven decisions using high-resolution satellite imagery. Our advanced object detection technology identifies and monitors critical construction assets from building sites and road networks to bridges, machinery, and material storage areas, enabling remote progress tracking, infrastructure assessment, and proactive project management. Transforming Construction Management with Intelligent Automation Identify and analyze construction materials, detect structural defects, and assess potential risks remotely with high precision. Skeye’s AI-driven platform enables continuous site monitoring, helping project managers ensure safety, quality, and compliance while minimizing on-site inspections and reducing operational costs. Reduce the need for on-site inspections and enhance overall safety through intelligent, remote monitoring. Skeye’s AI-powered platform provides real-time insights into construction progress and site conditions, enabling faster decision-making, better risk management, and greater operational efficiency. Create comprehensive construction progress reports with accurate, up-to-date insights derived from satellite imagery. Skeye’s AI-powered analytics track development milestones, detect changes over time, and provide clear visual summaries to support transparent communication, efficient project management, and data-driven decision-making. Construction Site Inspection Intelligence for every site. Skeye harnesses advanced artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically analyze satellite imagery and detect key objects across construction sites. This enables companies to conduct remote inspections with greater efficiency, reducing the time and labor required for on-site visits while improving safety by minimizing exposure to hazardous areas. With Skeye, construction supervisors can easily identify materials, monitor site progress, detect anomalies or potential risks, and generate detailed progress reports, all from a single AI-powered platform. Site Monitoring and Progress Tracking Automated oversight, real results. Skeye automates construction site monitoring through advanced satellite imagery. Its AI technology tracks project progress, identifies deviations from planned designs, and delivers real-time updates. This helps ensure projects remain on schedule and within budget while enhancing overall efficiency and site management. Automated Building Footprint Extraction Accuracy at Scale. Skeye provides fast, automated extraction of building footprints from high-resolution satellite imagery. Our AI models generate precise, up-to-date building outlines that replace time-consuming manual digitization, enabling smarter urban planning, asset mapping, and infrastructure management. Urban Change Detection Monitor Transformation. Skeye analyzes satellite imagery to detect new construction, demolition, and changes in building structures. Our AI-driven insights help cities, developers, and organizations track urban expansion, assess development patterns, and support data-driven planning. Smart Construction Stay Ahead with Skeye Skeye brings precision and efficiency to modern construction. Our AI-powered platform automates site monitoring, identifies materials and defects, assesses potential risks, and generates detailed progress reports using high-resolution satellite imagery. By reducing the need for on-site inspections and enhancing safety, Skeye empowers construction teams to manage projects more efficiently, ensure quality, and make smarter, data-driven decisions from above.   Get Started --- ## Port Operations URL: https://www.myskeye.com/portoperations/ Type: page Modified: 2026-04-23 Skeye ForPort Operations Skeye’s Enables Port Operators to Remotely Monitor Assets and Streamline Operations for Greater Efficiency and Safety Port Harbour And Monitoring Smarter ports start here. Skeye empowers port operators to enhance safety, minimize downtime, and optimize operations through efficient and precise monitoring of port infrastructure and activities. Skeye leverages advanced machine learning algorithms to analyze high-resolution Satellite images, detecting patterns and features that correspond to various types of assets. This enables Skeye to accurately identify and track vessels, containers, and other equipment, delivering valuable insights into port traffic, capacity, and overall operational performance.    By accurately detecting bare soil characteristics, such as texture, organic matter, and moisture retention, Skeye provides crucial insights for optimizing fertilizer use, irrigation planning, and seed selection. This enables data-driven decisions that enhance crop growth, improve sustainability, and reduce environmental impact. Cargo And Containers Tracking Intelligence for productive analysis. Skeye can be used to monitor and manage the flow of cargo and containers within ports. By analyzing satellite imagery, its AI system automatically tracks container movements, detects anomalies, and optimizes stacking processes, ensuring efficient space utilization and minimizing the risk of misplaced or lost goods. Smart Ports Stay Ahead with Skeye Skeye brings precision and efficiency to modern port management. Our AI-powered platform simplifies asset monitoring, enhances security, optimizes cargo flow, and supports data-driven decision-making to improve operational efficiency and safety. Skeye helps ports operate smarter and more sustainably through clear, actionable insights from above. Get Started --- ## Forestry URL: https://www.myskeye.com/forestry/ Type: page Modified: 2026-04-23 Skeye For Forestry Skeye uses AI and high-resolution satellite imagery to detect, classify, and monitor trees across vast areas. The platform tracks forest cover and land-use changes, helping agencies and organizations plan sustainably and manage resources more effectively. Tree Counting Count every tree. Skeye enables smarter, faster forest management through AI-powered tree detection and classification. By analysing high-resolution satellite imagery, Skeye’s advanced models can identify unique characteristics of different tree species, including canopy shape, size, and color variations, to accurately locate, count, and classify trees across vast areas. This automation dramatically reduces the time and effort required for manual tree surveys, allowing foresters to make more informed decisions and efficiently manage forest resources, even across large or remote regions.  Climate Change Impact Monitor climate change intelligently. Skeye enables long-term monitoring of environmental changes linked to climate change.By continuously analyzing satellite imagery over time, its AI technology can detect variations in ice cover, sea levels, and desertification patterns. The insights generated from this data are vital for understanding climate impacts and supporting effective mitigation and adaptation strategies on a global scale. Smart Forestry Stay Ahead with Skeye Skeye brings precision and efficiency to modern forestry. Our AI-powered platform automates tree monitoring, detects changes in forest cover, supports sustainable management, and improves resource allocation for healthier, more resilient forests. Skeye helps forestry thrive through clear, actionable insights from above. Get Started --- ## About URL: https://www.myskeye.com/about/ Type: page Modified: 2026-04-07 About Skeye Skeye is an AI-powered geospatial analytics platform that enables stakeholders in agricultural and environmental monitoring to accurately identify objects, land use, and activity from satellite imagery. By tracking change over time and comparing current imagery with historical records, Skeye helps businesses and organisations make informed decisions, optimise operations, and gain a competitive edge. Smart Studios Skeye is a product of Smart Studios.   Smart Studios is a digital solutions provider based in Malta. Founded in 2018, the company focuses on building AI & software solutions. Its founder and CEO Johan Zammit and the rest of the C-suite bring along 25 years of hands-on business experience coupled with deep technical and scientific knowledge. Learn more Our Mission Skeye exists to help organisations unlock the value of satellite imagery through AI-powered geospatial intelligence. Our mission is to build the world’s best platform for practical results. One that turns complex spatial data into actionable insights for agriculture, infrastructure, construction, port operations and public sector use cases.   With over 25 years of experience in digital innovation and analytics, our team combines strategic thinking, technical expertise and deep geospatial understanding to build an earth observation platform that solves real-world challenges. Our goal is simple: to enable better decisions, stronger performance, and lasting impact for the organisations and communities we serve. Our Story Our story began in 1992 when our founder and CEO Johan Zammit wrote his first line of code and fell in love with coding.   In 1996 when he started University two subjects fascinated him more than others : Geographic Information System (GIS) and AI.   Fast forward to 2017, where after 20 years pushing the envelope in technology and innovation, Johan felt it was time to share his experience through a new type of organisation. Smart Studios was born to enable its clients to use AI and digital innovation to their advantage. And this is where the love for GIS and satellite imagery came back.   Since 2019 we have been working day and night on AI for earth observation, and this triggered the start of Skeye, a natural extension of our journey, bringing satellite imagery, geospatial analytics, and AI-powered insights together in one unified platform. --- ## Enviroment & Natural Disasters URL: https://www.myskeye.com/enviroment/ Type: page Modified: 2026-01-11 Skeye For Environmental Monitoring Skeye uses AI and high-resolution satellite imagery to detect, classify, and monitor environmental changes across large areas. The platform tracks shifts in land use, vegetation health, and ecosystem dynamics, giving agencies and organizations the insights they need to respond proactively, plan sustainably, and protect natural environments more effectively. Early Detection for Environmental Risk See sooner. Act smarter. Sustain longer. From land degradation to ecosystem stress, Skeye’s AI-powered geospatial analytics platform identifies early warning signs from satellite imagery before damage becomes visible. Move beyond fragmented, reactive monitoring with a unified, proactive view of environmental change that helps you protect land, resources, and ecosystems with confidence. Climate Change Impact Monitor climate change intelligently. Skeye enables long-term monitoring of environmental changes linked to climate change.By continuously analyzing satellite imagery over time, its AI technology can detect variations in ice cover, sea levels, and desertification patterns. The insights generated from this data are vital for understanding climate impacts and supporting effective mitigation and adaptation strategies on a global scale. Precision in environmental monitoring Stay Ahead with Skeye Our AI-powered platform automatically detects changes in land use, vegetation health, and ecosystem stability, providing continuous insights into environmental shifts over time. By turning satellite imagery into clear, actionable intelligence, Skeye empowers organizations to respond faster, plan smarter, and promote sustainable management of natural resources for a more resilient planet. Get Started --- ## Earth Observation Glossary URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/earth-observation-glossary/ Type: post Modified: 2025-11-24 Earth observation glossary     A  Above ground biomass  Above ground biomass refers to the total mass of living plant material present above the soil surface in a specific area or ecosystem. This includes the combined weight of plant stems, leaves, branches and other aerial parts of plants. Above ground biomass is a critical metric for assessing the quantity of carbon stored in vegetation and plays a key role in understanding the carbon cycle and ecosystem dynamics. Aeolus  Aeolus is ESA’s first satellite mission which acquired profiles of Earth’s wind on a global scale. These observations are used to improve weather forecasts and climate models. The Aeolus satellite carries just one large instrument – a Doppler wind lidar that measures the winds sweeping around our planet. Aerosol  Particles of liquid or solid dispersed as a suspension in gas. These tiny particles or droplets can remain suspended in the air for an extended period. Air pollution  Air pollution refers to the presence of harmful substances or pollutants in the air that can be detrimental to the health of living organisms and the environment. These pollutants can include gases, particles, and other materials, often resulting from human activities such as industrial processes, vehicle emissions and the burning of fossil fuels. Albedo  Albedo is a measure of the reflectivity of a surface, indicating how much sunlight it reflects back into space. It is often expressed as a percentage, with higher albedo values indicating greater reflectivity. For example, a surface with high albedo, like snow, reflects more sunlight, while a surface with low albedo, like asphalt, absorbs more sunlight. Algae Algae are a diverse group of aquatic, plant-like organisms that range in size from single-celled microalgae to large seaweeds. They are found in a wide range of aquatic environments, from freshwater to saltwater, and are important primary producers in aquatic ecosystems, converting energy from the Sun into organic matter through photosynthesis. Some types of algae can also cause harmful algal blooms that can have negative impacts on human health and the environment. Algal blooms  Algal blooms are rapid and excessive growths of algae in water bodies, such as lakes or oceans. These blooms can be triggered by an abundance of nutrients, often from factors like agricultural runoff or wastewater discharge. The overgrowth of algae can lead to the formation of dense, visible patches on the water’s surface. While some algae are harmless, certain types of algal bloomscan produce toxins harmful to aquatic life and pose risks to human health. Altimeter  An altimeter is a device used to measure the altitude or height above a specific reference point, usually Earth’s surface. Altimeters are commonly used in satellite missions to monitor changes in sea level, ice thickness and terrain topography for various Earth observation applications. Altius The Atmospheric Limb Tracker for Investigation of the Upcoming Stratosphere (Altius) mission carries a high-resolution spectral imager and uses a limb-sounding technique to deliver profiles of ozone and other trace gases in the upper atmosphere to support services such as weather forecasting, and to monitor long-term trends. Anomaly An anomaly refers to something that deviates from what is considered normal, expected, or standard. In various fields, including science, statistics, and everyday language, an anomaly is an observation or occurrence that stands out or differs significantly from the usual patterns or trends. Anthropogenic Anthropogenic refers to anything that is caused or produced by human activity or influence. It is a term used to describe the effects of human actions on the environment, including climate change, pollution, deforestation and other forms of environmental degradation. Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is an imaginary line of latitude located approximately 66.5 degrees north of the equator. It marks the southernmost boundary where, at least once a year during the winter solstice, the sun does not rise above the horizon for a full 24 hours, and during the summer solstice, it does not set for a full 24 hours. Arctic Weather Satellite The Arctic Weather Satellite mission provides frequent coverage of Earth for improved nowcasting and numerical weather prediction. Carrying a cross-track scanning microwave radiometer, the Arctic Weather Satellite mission provides measurements of atmospheric humidity and temperature. Artificial intelligence (AI) A field of research in computer science that develops methods and software for machines to perceive their environment and use learning and intelligence to take actions. Artificial Intelligence for Earth Observation (AI4EO) Artificial Intelligence for Earth Observation (AI4EO) describes the use of AI models to extract information from satellite data. Example applications include interpreting and understanding remote sensing imagery, analysing Big Data and digital twins.  Atmosphere The atmosphere is the envelope of gases that envelops a celestial body, and on Earth, it consists of several distinct layers. The innermost layer, closest to the Earth’s surface, is the troposphere, where weather events and phenomena like clouds occur. This layer is primarily composed of nitrogen and oxygen, along with trace amounts of other gases. Above the troposphere is the stratosphere, which contains the ozone layer, crucial for blocking harmful ultraviolet radiation. The composition of the atmosphere also includes gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor. Beyond the stratosphere, the mesosphere and thermosphere extend into the outermost layers. These atmospheric layers collectively play a crucial role in protecting life on Earth by absorbing harmful solar radiation, regulating temperatures, and facilitating various atmospheric processes essential for the planet’s habitability. Atoll An atoll is a circular or oval-shaped reef structure with a lagoon in the centre. These structures typically form around a volcanic island that has subsided while the coral grows upwards. Atolls are common in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. B  Backscatter Backscatter refers to the reflection of energy or signals, such as radar waves or lidar pulses, back towards the sensor or instrument after interacting with Earth’s surface. Barometer An instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure. Biodiversity Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth at different levels, including the diversity of species, ecosystems, and genetic variation within species. Biomass Biomass refers to the total mass of living or recently living organisms in a given area or ecosystem, typically expressed in terms of weight per unit area or volume. It includes plant material, animal matter, microorganisms and other organic substances. Biomass (mission) Biomass Mission will provide crucial information about the state of our forests and how they are changing. The data will be used to further our knowledge of the role forests play in the carbon cycle. Biosphere The biosphere is the part of Earth where living organisms exist. It encompasses allecosystems, including the atmosphere, hydrosphere (water bodies), lithosphere (land), and their interactions. Boreal Boreal refers to the northernmost biome or region characterised by cold climates and dominated by coniferous forests, such as spruce, fir, and pine trees. The boreal zone spans across the northern latitudes of North America, Europe, and Asia. C  Cal/Val Calibration and Validation. Calibration Calibration involves adjusting and validating the accuracy of sensor measurements by comparing them to a known standard. This crucial process ensures that the satellite instruments provide reliable and consistent data for scientific analysis, remote sensing, and Earth observation applications. CAMS Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. Carbon cycle The carbon cycle is the continuous and natural exchange of carbon compounds between the atmosphere, oceans, soil and living organisms on Earth. It involves processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition and combustion, influencing the distribution and cycling of carbon in various forms like carbon dioxide and organic matter. Carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide is a colourless and odourless gas composed of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. It is a crucial component of Earth’s atmosphere, resulting from natural processes like respiration and combustion, as well as human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide plays a significant role in the Earth’s carbon cycle and is a key greenhouse gas, influencing the planet’s climate by trapping heat in the atmosphere. Carbon sequestration The process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. For example, trees and plants absorb carbon dioxide, release the oxygen and store the carbon. Celsius Celsius, often denoted as °C, is a unit of temperature measurement and is one of the most widely used temperature scales globally. The Celsius scale sets the freezing point of water at 0 degrees and the boiling point at 100 degrees. CHIME The Copernicus Hyperspectral Imaging Mission for the Environment, or CHIME, is being developed to support EU policies on the management of natural resources – ultimately helping to address the global issue of food security. CHIME will carry a unique visible to shortwave infrared spectrometer to provide routine hyperspectral observations to support new and enhanced services for sustainable agricultural and biodiversity management, as well as soil property characterisation. CHIME is one of six Copernicus Sentinel Expansion missions that ESA is developing on behalf of the EU.  Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) Chlorofluorocarbons are a family of organic compounds that contain carbon, chlorine and fluorine atoms. They were widely used as refrigerants, solvents and propellants in aerosol cans and other consumer products until the 1980s, when it was discovered that they were contributing to the depletion of Earth’s ozone layer. CFCs are very stable and can remain in the atmosphere for several decades, where they can react with and destroy ozone molecules. This can lead to the formation of an ozone hole over the polar regions, which can have serious consequences for human health and the environment. In response to these concerns, the use of CFCs was phased out under the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty signed in 1987. Since then, the concentration of CFCs in the atmosphere has been gradually declining, and the ozone layer is expected to recover over the coming decades. Chlorophyll Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in the chloroplasts of plant cells and other photosynthetic organisms. It plays a fundamental role in photosynthesis by capturing light energy and converting it into chemical energy, allowing plants to produce carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water in the presence of sunlight. Chlorophyll’s green colour arises from its ability to absorb light most efficiently in the blue and red regions of the electromagnetic spectrum while reflecting green light. CIMR The Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer mission (CIMR) will provide measurements to decision makers with evidence of change and impact in the polar regions – with a focus on the Arctic. The mission has the largest radiometer developed by ESA and will provide high-resolution measurements related to sea ice, the ocean, snow and ice-sheet surfaces. This will be crucial in understanding the evolution of the climate in the polar region. CIMR is one of six Copernicus Sentinel Expansion missions that ESA is developing on behalf of the EU.  Climate Climate is the weather in a specific area over a long period of time – usually 30 years of more. Climate change Climate change refers to long-term alterations in temperature, precipitation and other atmospheric conditions on Earth. It is often associated with shifts in global or regional climate patterns, including variations in temperature extremes, sea level rise and changes in the frequency and intensity of weather events. Climate change can result from natural processes or human activities, particularly the emission of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. Climate Change Initiative (CCI) Climate Change Initiative (CCI) is a programme that aims to provide long-term, high-quality climate data records from satellite observations. ESA’s CCI focuses on essential climate variables, including those related to Earth’s atmosphere, oceans and land surfaces. The initiative involves the generation, validation and distribution of climate data records to support climate research, monitoring and assessment. By utilising satellite data, the ESA Climate Change Initiative contributes valuable information for understanding climate change trends, variability and impacts on a global scale. Climate model A climate model is a computer-based representation of Earth’s climate system that simulates the interactions and behaviours of the atmosphere, oceans, land surface and other components. These models use mathematical equations to project and analyse climate patterns, providing insights into future climate conditions based on various scenarios and input parameters. Climate models are valuable tools to study and understand the complex dynamics of Earth’s climate, assess the impacts of different factors and make projections about potential future climate changes. Climate system The climate system refers to the complex interaction of various components on Earth, including the atmosphere, oceans, land surfaces, ice masses and living organisms. These interconnected elements influence and regulate the planet’s climate by exchanging energy, heat and moisture. Changes in one component can have cascading effects on the entire system, leading to alterations in weather patterns and long-term climate trends. Understanding the dynamics of the climate system is crucial for comprehending climate processes and predicting the impacts of natural variability and human-induced changes. Climate tipping points Climate tipping points are elements of the Earth system in which small changes can kick off reinforcing loops that ‘tip’ a system from one stable state into a profoundly different state. Climatology Science dealing with climate and climate phenomena. Clouds Clouds are visible masses of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in Earth’s atmosphere. Formed through the process of condensation or sublimation, clouds can take various shapes and sizes, ranging from wispy cirrus clouds high in the atmosphere to dense cumulus clouds often associated with thunderstorms. Clouds play a crucial role in the planet’s energy balance by reflecting sunlight back into space and trapping heat, contributing to weather patterns and influencing climate. CO2M The Copernicus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring (CO2M) mission will be the first satellite mission to measure how much carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere through human activity. CO2M is a crucial step in our commitment to understanding and mitigating climate change. It will offer unprecedented precision in monitoring carbon dioxide emissions from the combustion of fossil fuel at national and regional scales. Its data will provide the EU with a unique and independent source of information to assess the effectiveness of policy measures and to track their impact towards decarbonising Europe ahead of the next Global Stocktake set to place in 2028. CO2M is one of six Copernicus Sentinel Expansion missions that ESA is developing on behalf of the EU.  Condensation Condensation refers to the change of a substance to a denser form, such as a gas to a liquid. Contrails Contrails, short for condensation trails, are visible streaks of ice crystals or water droplets that form in the wake of aircraft flying at high altitudes. These trails result from the condensation of water vapor present in the aircraft’s exhaust gases when they come into contact with the cold air at high altitudes. Convection Convection is the process of heat transfer within Earth’s atmosphere. When a specific air mass is heated, it becomes less dense and rises, creating upward air currents. As the air rises, it cools, becomes denser, and eventually descends back to the surface. Convection causes local breezes, winds and thunderstorms. COP Conference of the parties. The COP is made up of representatives from all countries that have signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). At these meetings, countries come together to negotiate agreements and set goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing the impacts of climate change. Copernicus Copernicus is the Earth observation component of the European Union’s Space programme. It provides accurate, timely and easily accessible information to improve the management of the environment, understand and mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure civil security. ESA coordinates the delivery of data from upwards of 30 satellites. The European Commission, acting on behalf of the European Union, is responsible for the overall initiative, setting requirements and managing the services. Copernicus Contributing Missions The Copernicus Contributing Missions provide data that complements the Copernicus Sentinel missions and play a crucial role in Earth observation. These missions are conducted by ESA, its Member States, and international third-party operators, and they offer high-resolution optical and radar data. Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem The Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem provides access to large amounts of open and free Earth observation data. Copernicus Sentinels The Copernicus Sentinels are a series of Earth observation satellites developed as part of the European Union’s space programme. These satellites are equipped with advanced sensors and instruments to monitor Earth’s environment, providing a wealth of data for various applications, including environmental management, climate monitoring and disaster response. Copernicus Sentinel Expansion Missions Copernicus Sentinel Expansion missions will expand the current capabilities of the Copernicus Space Component – the world’s biggest supplier of Earth observation data. These missions are being developed by ESA on behalf of the EU. CRISTAL The Copernicus Polar Ice and Snow Topography Altimeter (CRISTAL) mission will provide a full picture of the changes taking place in some of the most inhospitable regions of the world. It will carry – for the first time – a dual-frequency radar altimeter, and microwave radiometer, that will measure and monitor sea-ice thickness, overlying snow depth and ice-sheet elevations. These data will support maritime operations in the polar oceans and contribute to a better understanding of climate processes. CRISTAL will also support applications related to coastal and inland waters, as well as providing observations of ocean topography. CRISTAL is one of six Copernicus Sentinel Expansion missions that ESA is developing on behalf of the EU.  CryoSat Launched on 8 April 2010, the CryoSat mission is monitoring centimetre-scale changes in the thickness of ice floating in the oceans and in the thickness of the vast ice sheets that blanket Greenland and Antarctica. Together with satellite information on ice extent, these measurements are showing how the volume of Earth’s ice is changing and leading to a better understanding of the relationship between ice and climate. Cryosphere The cryosphere is one of the components of Earth’s system where water is in solid form, encompassing regions with ice, snow and frozen ground. This includes polar ice caps, glaciers, ice sheets, sea ice, and frozen lakes and rivers. The cryosphere is dynamic, experiencing changes in response to seasonal variations and long-term climate shifts. Monitoring changes in the cryosphere is crucial for understanding the impacts of climate change and its broader environmental consequences. D  Data Data refers to information, often in the form of facts, figures, or symbols, that is collected, stored, and analysed. Data cube A data cube is a simple a way of organising and viewing any sort of data with multiple dimensions, some of which are associated with space and time, that can help gain insights into patterns and trends that might not be immediately apparent otherwise. Data set A data set is a collection of related and organised information or data points that are grouped together for analysis or reference. Deforestation Deforestation is the process of clearing or removing large expanses of forests or trees, often to make way for agriculture, urban development or other land-use changes. This human-induced activity results in the loss of forest ecosystems, disrupting biodiversity, contributing to climate change by reducing the carbon sink capacity of forests, and impacting local and global ecosystems. Deforestation can have significant environmental consequences, including soil erosion, altered water cycles, and the destruction of habitats for numerous plant and animal species. Degradation Degradation refers to the deterioration or decline in the quality, condition, or functionality of something. For environmental degradation, it refers to where natural resources or ecosystems experience a decline in health or integrity. Degradation may result from factors such as pollution, deforestation, overuse of land, or other human-induced and natural processes. Rainforest degradation results in the loss of biodiversity, disruption of ecological balance, and diminished capacity to provide essential ecosystem services. Delta A delta is a landform that forms at the mouth of a river where the river flows into a larger body of water, such as a sea or an ocean. Deltas are usually triangular or fan-shaped and are formed over a long period of time as sediment, such as sand, silt, and clay, is deposited at the mouth of the river. Deltas can be very productive ecosystems, as they are often home to a variety of plant and animal species, and the sediment that is deposited can make the soil fertile for agriculture. They can also be vulnerable to flooding and erosion, as they are often located at low elevations and can be affected by storm surges and sea level rise. Desertification Desertification is the process of which fertile lands becomes desert. It involves the gradual transformation of productive land into desert-like conditions, characterised by reduced soil fertility, vegetation loss, and increased susceptibility to erosion. Factors contributing to desertification include prolonged droughts, deforestation, overgrazing and improper agricultural practices. Destination Earth Destination Earth (DestinE) is an ambitious initiative of the European Union to create a digital model of Earth that will be used to monitor the effects of natural and human activity on our planet, anticipate extreme events and adapt policies to climate-related challenges. Using innovative Earth system models, cutting-edge computing, satellite data and machine learning, Destination Earth will allow its users to explore the effects of climate change on the different components of the Earth system, together with possible adaptation and mitigation strategies. Digital elevation model A digital elevation model (DEM) is a digital representation of the topography of a terrain or surface. Digital twin A digital twin is a virtual representation or digital replica of a physical object, system, or process. It integrates real-time data and simulations to mimic the behaviour, characteristics and dynamics of its physical counterpart. DLR German Aerospace Center. Dobson Unit A Dobson Unit (DU) is a unit of measurement that is used to express the total amount of ozone in a vertical column of the Earth’s atmosphere. Doppler effect The Doppler effect is a phenomenon observed in waves, such as sound or light, when the source of the waves and the observer are in relative motion. It causes a change in the frequency or wavelength of the waves as perceived by the observer. Doppler radar Doppler radar is a type of radar system that utilises the Doppler effect to measure the velocity of moving objects, such as precipitation particles in the atmosphere. Downwelling The process of accumulation and sinking of warm surface waters along a coastline. Drought Drought is a prolonged period of abnormally low precipitation levels, resulting in water shortages that can adversely affect ecosystems, agriculture and water supplies.  E  EarthCARE The Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) mission is a European-Japanese mission to improve the representation and understanding of Earth’s radiative balance in climate and numerical weather forecast models. Earth Explorers Earth Explorers refer to a series of satellite missions with the primary goal of advancing scientific understanding of Earth’s environment, climate and natural processes. These missions, which are proposed by the scientific community, continue to demonstrate how breakthrough technology can deliver an astounding range of scientific findings about our planet. They lead to the scientific excellence that is critical to addressing the challenges society faces today and is expected to face in the decades to come – from understanding different aspects in the climate system such as atmospheric dynamics and ice melt, to societal issues such as food security and freshwater resources. Earth observation Earth observation refers to the collection, analysis and interpretation of information about Earth’s surface, atmosphere, and oceans using various technologies such as satellites, aircraft, and ground-based sensors. Earth system The Earth system encompasses the interconnected and dynamic interactions among the atmosphere, hydrosphere (water bodies), lithosphere (land), biosphere (living organisms), and sometimes the cryosphere (frozen components). This holistic approach views Earth as a complex, integrated system where processes and feedback mechanisms between these components influence the planet’s climate, weather patterns, and environmental conditions. Earth system science Earth system science explores the interactions and relationships among Earth’s various components, including the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, biosphere and the cryosphere. It aims to understand the complex dynamics and processes that govern Earth as a whole. Earth system scientists analyse how changes in one component can impact others, contributing to a holistic understanding of the planet’s functioning. This integrated approach helps address environmental challenges, such as climate change, by considering the interconnected nature of Earth’s systems. Ecology Ecology is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans and their physical environment. Ecosystem An ecosystem is a biological community of living organisms, including plants, animals, and microorganisms, interacting with each other and their physical environment in a specific area. ECMWF European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. ECSAT ECSAT stands for the European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications. It is one of ESA’s establishments located in Harwell, United Kingdom. ECSAT focuses on the application of space technologies for various purposes, including telecommunications, Earth observation and satellite navigation. El Niño El Niño is a climate phenomenon characterised by the periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. This warming disrupts normal weather patterns, leading to significant climatic impacts globally. El Niño events typically occur every two to seven years and can bring about extreme weather conditions. In most years, the warming last only a few weeks or a month, after which the weather patterns return to normal and fishing improves. However, when El Niño conditions last for many months, more extensive ocean warming occurs and economic results can be disastrous. El Niño has been linked to wetter, colder winters in the United States; drier, hotter summers in South America and Europe; and drought in Africa. This phenomenon is part of the larger El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate system and has widespread effects on ecosystems, agriculture, and weather-related disasters in various regions across the world. Electromagnetic radiation Electromagnetic radiation refers to the energy propagated through space in the form of electromagnetic waves. These waves consist of electric and magnetic fields oscillating perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the direction of the wave’s propagation. Electromagnetic spectrum The electromagnetic spectrum refers to the entire range of electromagnetic radiation, organised by wavelength or frequency. It includes various types of electromagnetic waves, such as radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays, and gamma rays. Each segment of the spectrum represents a different range of wavelengths and has distinct properties and interactions with matter. Electromagnetic wave An electromagnetic wave is a form of energy propagation through space that consists of oscillating electric and magnetic fields perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the direction of the wave’s travel. Elliptical orbit Bodies in space orbit in elliptical rather than circular orbits because of factors such as gravity and atmospheric drag. The point where the orbiting satellite is closest to Earth is called the perigee while the point where the satellite is farthest from Earth is called the apogee. El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a climate phenomenon characterised by the periodic variations in sea surface temperatures and atmospheric pressure patterns in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. ENSO has two phases: El Niño, marked by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures, and La Niña, characterised by cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures. These variations influence global weather patterns, impacting precipitation, temperature and atmospheric circulation in different regions. ENSO events can lead to extreme weather conditions, such as droughts, floods, and altered storm patterns, with widespread consequences for agriculture, ecosystems, and various socio-economic activities around the world. Environment The air, water and land in or on which people, animals and plants live. Envisat Envisat was the largest Earth observation spacecraft ever built. The mission delivered thousands of images and a wealth of data used to study the workings of the Earth system, including insights into factors contributing to climate change. The end of the mission was declared on 9 May 2012, but ten years of Envisat’s archived data continue to be exploited for studying our planet. ERS The European Remote Sensing satellites (ERS) were the most sophisticated Earth observation spacecraft ever developed and launched by Europe. The satellites collected a wealth of valuable data on Earth’s land surfaces, oceans and polar caps and were called upon to monitor natural disasters such as severe flooding or earthquakes in remote parts of the world. Both ERS satellites were built with a core payload of two specialised radars and an infrared imaging sensor. The two were designed as identical twins with one important difference: ERS-2 included an extra instrument to monitor ozone levels in the atmosphere. ESA European Space Agency ESOC ESOC stands for the European Space Operations Centre. It is one of ESA’s main located in Darmstadt, Germany. ESOC is responsible for the operations and control of ESA’s spacecraft and satellites throughout their mission lifecycles. ESRIN ESRIN stands for the European Space Research Institute and is one of ESA’s centres for Earth observation activities. ESRIN is located in Frascati, Italy, near Rome and was established in 1966. The mission and payload operations of ESA’s Earth observation satellites are managed in ESRIN. It is the primary source for the acquisition, distribution and exploitation of data from these and other non-ESA satellites. Essential climate change variables (ECVs) Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) are a set of key climate parameters that are systematically observed to provide information on various aspects of the Earth’s climate system. They are crucial for understanding climate change, assessing its impacts, and informing climate-related policies. ESTEC ESTEC stands for the European Space Research and Technology Centre. It is ESA’s largest establishment and is located in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. ESTEC serves as the agency’s primary facility for research and development, focusing on space technology and satellite missions. Estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of water where fresh water from rivers and streams mixes with salt water from the ocean. Estuaries are usually located where a river meets the sea, and they are influenced by tides, waves, and currents. Because of the mixing of fresh and salt water, estuaries are highly productive ecosystems that support a wide variety of plant and animal life. Eumetsat European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites Eutrophication Eutrophication is a natural process that occurs when a body of water becomes enriched with nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. While this can be a normal part of the ecosystem, excessive levels of nutrients from human activities like agriculture, sewage and stormwater runoff can lead to an overgrowth of algae and other aquatic plants. As these plants die and decompose, they consume oxygen, which can lead to hypoxia (low oxygen levels) and harm aquatic life. Eutrophication can also cause harmful algal blooms that produce toxins that can be harmful to people, animals and the environment. Evaporation Change from a liquid (more dense) to a vapour or gas (less dense) form. F  False-colour False-colour refers to the presentation of data using colours that do not represent the natural colours of the observed objects. Instead, false-colour images use artificial colour schemes to highlight specific features or information that may not be apparent in standard true-colour images. Different bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as infrared or ultraviolet, are often assigned specific colours to enhance the visibility of certain characteristics, such as vegetation health or land cover. Feedback mechanisms In the context of climate, feedback mechanisms refer to processes that can either amplify or dampen the effects of climate change. Positive feedback loops tend to intensify initial changes, potentially accelerating warming or cooling trends. An example is the ice-albedo feedback, where melting ice reduces surface reflectivity, leading to more absorption of sunlight and further warming. Negative feedback loops, on the other hand, work to stabilise the climate system. An example is the water vapour feedback, where warmer temperatures increase water vapour in the atmosphere, but this can also lead to increased cloud cover, which reflects sunlight and helps cool the planet. FLEX The Fluorescence Explorer (FLEX) will map vegetation fluorescence to quantify photosynthetic activity. This information will improve our understanding of the way carbon moves between plants and the atmosphere and how photosynthesis affects the carbon and water cycles. It will also lead to better insight into plant health and stress. Fluorocarbons Carbon-fluorine compounds that often contain other elements such as hydrogen, chlorine or bromine. FORUM The Far-infrared Outgoing Radiation Understanding and Monitoring (FORUM) mission will provide new insight into the planet’s radiation budget and how it is controlled, and therefore improve climate models. More than half of Earth’s outgoing longwave energy is in the far-infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which has not been measured. FORUM will fill this gap. Fossil Hardened remains or traces of animal or plant life from a previous geological period preserved in Earth’s crust. Fossil fuel Fossil fuels are natural energy resources derived from the remains of ancient living organisms that underwent geological processes over millions of years. The three primary types of fossil fuels are coal, oil (petroleum) and natural gas. Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) is the fraction of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) absorbed by a vegetation canopy. FutureEO FutureEO is ESA’s Earth observation research and development programme. It harnesses novel ideas to develop pioneering satellite missions and concepts, nurturing imaginative new ways of using Earth observation that enables scientific excellence to flourish and address environmental challenges of tomorrow. Earth science is at the heart of this forward-looking programme, but FutureEO, critically, also underpins the development of operational satellite missions dedicated to delivering robust systematic data for services that improve daily life and boost the economy. The agility of FutureEO also offers room for manoeuvre, with provision to adapt to emerging challenges and opportunities for daring new observing ideas to be tested, opening the door even wider to innovation. G  Geoid The geoid is the surface of an ideal global ocean in the absence of tides and currents, shaped only by gravity. It is a crucial reference for measuring ocean circulation, sea-level change and ice dynamics – all affected by climate change. Geostationary Geostationary refers to a satellite that is orbiting Earth at the same rate as Earth’s rotation, which allows it to appear stationary in the sky relative to a fixed point on Earth’s surface. This is achieved by placing the satellite in a very specific orbit approximately 35,786 km above Earth’s equator, where it can complete one orbit in the same amount of time it takes for the Earth to rotate once on its axis (about 24 hours).  Geostationary satellites are commonly used for weather forecasting, communication, and navigation, as they provide continuous coverage over a fixed region of Earth’s surface. Glacier A glacier is a large, persistent mass of ice that forms from the accumulation, compaction and recrystallisation of snow over long periods. Glaciers move slowly under their own weight, shaping the landscape through processes like erosion and deposition. They are found in mountainous regions and polar areas and play a crucial role in Earth’s hydrological cycle, influencing sea level and contributing to the formation of characteristic glacial landforms. Global carbon budget The global carbon budget refers to the balance of carbon dioxide emissions and removals on a global scale over a specific period, typically a year. It accounts for the total amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere through human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, as well as the natural processes that absorb or sequester carbon, like photosynthesis and carbon storage in oceans and forests. Global warming Global warming refers to the long-term increase in Earth’s average surface temperature, primarily attributed to human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. The enhanced greenhouse effect, caused by the accumulation of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, traps more heat, leading to a rise in global temperatures. This warming has far-reaching consequences, including changes in weather patterns, rising sea levels and impacts on ecosystems. GOCE Launched on 17 March 2009 and ended on 11 November 2013, the Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) mission provided the data to accurately determine global and regional models of Earth’s gravity and geoid. This is advancing research in areas of ocean circulation, physics of Earth’s interior, geodesy and surveying, and sea-level change.  Gravity Gravity is the fundamental force of attraction between objects with mass. It pulls objects toward each other and gives weight to physical bodies. The strength of gravity is proportional to the mass of the objects and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centres. Greenhouse effect The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms Earth’s surface. It occurs when the Sun’s energy reaches Earth and is absorbed, then re-radiated as infrared radiation. Greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, water vapour and methane, trap some of this outgoing infrared radiation, preventing it from escaping into space. This trapped heat warms the planet, creating conditions suitable for life. However, human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, have increased the concentration of greenhouse gases, enhancing the natural greenhouse effect and contributing to global warming and climate change. Greenhouse gas Greenhouse gases are gases in Earth’s atmosphere that can trap heat, contributing to the greenhouse effect and influencing the planet’s temperature. The primary greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapour and fluorinated gases. Human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation and industrial processes, have increased the concentrations of these gases, enhancing the greenhouse effect and leading to global warming and climate change. Guano Guano is excrement produced specifically from bats and seabirds. H  Habitat The area or region where a type of plant or animal lives and grows. Harmony The Harmony mission will deliver a wide range of unique high-resolution observations of motion occurring at or near Earth’s surface. New information about our oceans, ice, earthquakes and volcanoes will make significant contributions to climate research and risk monitoring. Heat island effect The heat island effect, often referred to as the urban heat island effect, is a phenomenon where urban areas experience higher temperatures compared to their surrounding rural areas. This temperature difference is primarily attributed to human activities, such as the construction of buildings and roads, the replacement of natural surfaces with heat-absorbing materials, and the concentration of heat-producing activities. Urban heat islands can lead to elevated temperatures, altered microclimates, increased energy consumption for cooling, and potential environmental and health impacts. Mitigation measures often focus on urban planning, green infrastructure and sustainable design to counteract the heat island effect. Hemisphere Half of Earth, usually as divided into northern and southern halves by the equator, or into western and eastern halves by an imaginary line passing through the poles. Hydrocarbon Hydrocarbons are organic compounds made up of hydrogen and carbon atoms. They form the basis of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas, and can also be found in various organic substances. Hydrocarbons exist in different forms, including alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes, each characterised by the arrangement of carbon atoms and the presence of carbon-carbon double or triple bonds. These compounds play a crucial role in the energy industry as sources of fuel and raw materials for various industrial processes. Hydrochlorofluorocarbon Hydrochlorofluorocarbons are organic compounds that consist of hydrogen, chlorine, fluorine and carbon atoms. They were developed as substitutes for chlorofluorocarbons which are known for their ozone-depleting properties. While hydrochlorofluorocarbons have lower ozone-depleting potential than chlorofluorocarbons, they still contribute to ozone layer depletion. Due to their environmental impact, international agreements such as the Montreal Protocol aim to phase out the production and consumption of hydrochlorofluorocarbons. HydroGNSS The Earth observation Scout mission, HydroGNSS, will improve our knowledge of Earth’s hydrological cycle, and in turn, improve our understanding of natural processes and the way human activity affects land and water. It will provide measurements of key hydrological climate variables, including soil moisture, freeze–thaw state over permafrost, inundation and wetlands, and above-ground biomass, using a technique called Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) reflectometry. Hydrologic cycle The hydrologic cycle, also known as the water cycle, is the continuous process of water movement on, above, and below Earth’s surface. It involves the evaporation of water from oceans, lakes and rivers into the atmosphere, condensation into clouds, precipitation as rain or snow, and the return of water to Earth through runoff or infiltration. The hydrologic cycle plays a fundamental role in distributing and replenishing Earth’s water resources, sustaining ecosystems and influencing weather patterns. It is a dynamic system driven by solar energy and operates on a global scale, connecting various components of the Earth’s environment. Hydrosphere A hydrosphere is the total amount of water on a planet. The hydrosphere includes water that is on the surface of the planet, underground and in the air. A planet’s hydrosphere can be liquid, vapour or ice. On Earth, liquid water exists on the surface in the form of oceans, lakes and rivers. Hyperspectral Hyperspectral refers to an imaging or sensing system that captures a broad range of wavelengths across the electromagnetic spectrum with high spectral resolution. Unlike standard imaging systems that record colours in three or four bands, hyperspectral systems capture numerous narrow and contiguous bands, providing detailed information about the spectral characteristics of the observed objects. I  Ice core Ice cores are cylinders of ice drilled from ice sheets and glaciers which can be used to study climate patterns of the past. Ice sheet An ice sheet is a massive, continuous expanse of glacial ice covering more than 50 sq km. These vast ice masses are found predominantly in polar regions, with Antarctica and Greenland being the two primary locations hosting Earth’s largest ice sheets. Ice sheets form over extended periods as accumulated snow compacts into ice, creating layers that can reach great thicknesses. Ice shelf An ice shelf is a floating, extended portion of a glacier or ice sheet that extends into the ocean but remains connected to the land. Unlike icebergs, which are detached pieces of ice, ice shelves are still anchored to coastal areas or continental landmasses. They form as glacial ice flows from land into the ocean and subsequently floats due to buoyancy. Notable ice shelves include the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica and the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf. InCubed InCubed is a co-funding programme that supports the development of innovative and commercially successful products and services in Earth observation. InCubed encourages high-risk/high-reward developments by mitigating technical and financial risks. Imager A satellite instrument that measures and maps Earth and its atmosphere. In situ In situ is a Latin term that means ‘in its original place’ or ‘on-site.’ In scientific and technical contexts, the term is often used to describe measurements or observations that are made directly in the natural environment, rather than in a laboratory or other controlled setting. For example, conducting in situ measurements of soil moisture or water quality involves taking measurements in the field, at the location of interest. Infrared radiation Infrared radiation is a type of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths longer than those of visible light but shorter than microwaves. It is characterised by its ability to transmit heat and is commonly associated with thermal energy. In the Earth’s atmosphere, certain gases, such as water vapour and carbon dioxide, can absorb and re-emit infrared radiation, contributing to the greenhouse effect and influencing the planet’s climate. Interferogram An interferogram is a graphical representation or image created through interferometry, a technique that analyses the interference patterns between waves. In the context of radar interferometry, such as interferometric synthetic aperture radar, an interferogram displays the phase differences between two or more radar signals acquired at different times. These phase differences represent ground displacement, allowing scientists to visualize and quantify changes in Earth’s surface, such as those caused by earthquakes, subsidence or other geological phenomena. Interferometry Interferometry is a technique that involves combining and analysing the interference patterns of waves to extract detailed information about the properties of the waves or the objects that emitted them. In the context of earthquakes, interferometry refers to a technique known as interferometric synthetic aperture radar. This uses satellite-based radar systems to measure ground deformation caused by seismic activity. By comparing the phase differences in radar signals acquired at different times, scientists can create detailed maps of surface displacement, identifying areas that have moved due to an earthquake. International Charter Space and Major Disasters The International Charter on Space and Major Disasters, commonly known as ‘the Charter,’ is an international collaboration that provides rapid and coordinated access to space-based Earth observation data for disaster response and recovery efforts. IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Isothermal Of or indicating equality of temperature. J  JAXA Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Jet stream The jet stream is a fast, narrow current of air flowing from west to east that encircles the globe. K  Kelvin The standard unit of thermodynamic temperature which is defined as 1/273.16 of the temperature of the triple point of water above absolute zero. The symbol for Kelvin is K. Kyoto Protocol The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty aimed at addressing global climate change by setting legally binding emissions reduction targets for developed countries. Adopted in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the protocol commits participating nations to limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, primarily carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. The Kyoto Protocol came into force in 2005 and played a significant role in shaping subsequent climate agreements and discussions. L  La Niña La Niña is a climate phenomenon characterised by the periodic cooling of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. It is the opposite phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle compared to El Niño. During La Niña events, the cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures influence atmospheric circulation patterns, leading to distinct climatic effects globally. These effects may include increased rainfall in some regions, droughts in others, and alterations in temperature and weather patterns. Lahar A lahar is a type of mudflow or debris flow composed of volcanic ash, rocks and water that occurs on or around a volcano. Lahars can be triggered by heavy rainfall, rapid snowmelt, or the melting of glaciers on the volcano’s slopes, which mixes with loose volcanic material such as ash and rocks. Lake A body of fresh or salt water surrounded by land. Land cover Land cover refers to the physical and biological characteristics of Earth’s surface, as observed and categorised from satellite or aerial imagery. Land cover classification includes identifying and mapping different types of surfaces, such as forests, urban areas, water bodies, agricultural fields and natural landscapes. This information is crucial for monitoring changes in land use, assessing environmental impact and understanding ecosystems. Land surface temperature Land surface temperature is the temperature of Earth’s surface, how hot the ‘surface’ of Earth feels to the touch. This is not to be confused with air temperature which is a measure of how hot the air is above the ground. Latitude Latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north–south position of a point on the surface of Earth or another celestial body. Leaf area index Leaf area index is a measure used in ecology and remote sensing to quantify the extent of leaf cover in a vegetation canopy. It represents the total one-sided area of leaves per unit ground area. LEO Low Earth Orbit. LEOP Launch and Early Orbit Phase. Lidar Lidar, short for light detection and ranging, is a remote sensing technology that uses laser light to measure distances and create detailed, three-dimensional representations of Earth’s surface or other objects. In a lidar system, laser pulses are emitted and the time it takes for the light to travel to the target and back is measured. This information is used to generate highly accurate and precise elevation models, topographic maps and other spatial data. Lightning The occurrence of a natural electrical discharge of very short duration and high voltage between a cloud and the ground or within a cloud. Lithosphere The component of Earth’s surface comprising the rock, soil and sediments. Longitude The angular distance from the Greenwich meridian (0 degree), along the equator. Low pressure system A low pressure system is an atmospheric area where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is lower than the surrounding areas. In a low pressure system, air converges at the surface, ascends and creates conditions that are often associated with unsettled weather, such as clouds, precipitation and sometimes storms. Low pressure systems play a crucial role in Earth’s weather patterns, influencing the movement of air masses and the development of weather systems. Cyclones and hurricanes are extreme examples of low-pressure systems, characterised by intense winds and heavy rainfall. LSTM The Copernicus Land Surface Temperature Monitoring, LSTM, mission will improve sustainable agricultural productivity in a world of increasing water scarcity and variability. The mission will carry a high spatial-temporal resolution thermal infrared sensor to provide observations of land-surface temperature. These data are key to understand and respond to climate variability, manage water resources for agricultural production, predict droughts and also to address land degradation. LSTM is one of six Copernicus Sentinel Expansion missions that ESA is developing on behalf of the EU.  M  Magnetometer A magnetometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the strength and direction of a magnetic field. It can detect the presence of magnetic fields, including those generated by natural sources like the Earth’s magnetic field or artificial sources like magnets or electronic devices. Magnetosphere The magnetosphere is the region of space surrounding a celestial body, such as Earth, that is influenced and shaped by its magnetic field. Earth’s magnetosphere is created by the interaction between the planet’s magnetic field and the solar wind, a continuous flow of charged particles (mostly electrons and protons) emitted by the Sun. Mass balance The term ‘mass balance’ is often used by glaciologists to describe the difference between all the ice that is added to a glacier, and all of the ice the glacier loses over a period of time. The mass balance of a glacier considers factors such as snow accumulation, ice melt and ice flow. A positive mass balance indicates net mass gain, while a negative mass balance suggests net mass loss. Mean sea level Mean sea level is the average level of the surface of one or more of Earth’s oceans over a specific period, usually a year. It serves as a reference point for measuring elevations and depths on Earth. Mean sea level is determined by taking into account variations caused by tides, atmospheric pressure and ocean currents. Medicane A medicane is a meteorological term used to describe a weather phenomenon known as a ‘Mediterranean hurricane.’ It refers to a tropical-like cyclone that forms over the Mediterranean Sea, exhibiting characteristics similar to hurricanes or typhoons but on a smaller scale. Mesosphere The part of Earth’s atmosphere between the stratosphere and the thermosphere in which temperature decreases with altitude. Meteorology Study of Earth’s atmosphere and its phenomena. Meteosat Europe’s series of Meteosat satellites has been improving the accuracy of weather forecasts for over 40 years. The first Meteosat was launched in 1977 and also goes down in history as ESA’s first Earth observation mission. From geostationary orbit, the Meteosat satellites provide a continuous stream of images of the whole Earth disc, to monitor the weather over Europe, Africa and parts of the Atlantic and Indian Ocean. Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) The Meteosat Third Generation is a series of geostationary meteorological satellites envisioned as a successor to the Meteosat First and Second Generation satellites. The third generation of weather satellites will not only guarantee the continuity of data for weather forecasting for the next two decades, but also offers significant enhancement of the current imager capabilities, an all-new infrared sounding capability and realtime lightning imaging for early detection  of severe storms as they develop. Methane Methane is a colourless, odourless, and flammable gas that is the primary component of natural gas. Methane is produced naturally through biological and geological processes, including the decomposition of organic matter and fossil fuel formation. It is a potent greenhouse gas, with a global warming potential around 25 times greater than carbon dioxide over a 100-year time frame. Methane plays a significant role in both natural and human-caused climate change, and reducing methane emissions is an important strategy for mitigating the impacts of climate change. MetOp MetOp is a series of polar-orbiting meteorological satellites. The MetOp programme aims to enhance global weather forecasting, climate monitoring and environmental research by providing accurate and timely observations of the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans and land surfaces. The programme was jointly established by ESA and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (Eumetsat), forming the space segment of Eumetsat’s Polar System (EPS). Montreal Protocol The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty designed to protect Earth’s ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of substances that deplete it, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), and other ozone-depleting substances (ODSs). The treaty was signed in 1987 and has been ratified by all United Nations member countries. Multi-temporal Multi-temporal imaging is an application of remote sensing that involves taking two or more satellite images and combining them. This process highlights changes between the images over different dates. N  NanoMagSat NanoMagSat aims to maintain Europe’s leadership in monitoring Earth’s magnetic field and will also measure the ionospheric environment. NanoMagSat will allow for a much-improved understanding of the dynamics of the magnetic field and of the role of the Sun in the coupled atmospheric–ionospheric–magnetospheric system. Information delivered by NanoMagSat will be used in many ways, such as for space weather hazard assessments, precise navigation, reference models for smart phones, directional drilling and in the World Magnetic Model. NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration Near infrared Near infrared refers to the region of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths just beyond the visible light spectrum, typically ranging from approximately 700 to 2500 nanometres. While human eyes cannot detect NIR radiation, certain sensors and instruments, including those used in remote sensing and spectroscopy, are designed to capture and analyse information within this wavelength range. Negative feedback An interaction that reduces or dampens the response of the system in which it is incorporated. Net primary production Net primary production is a measure of the amount of organic matter, primarily in the form of plant biomass, that is produced by photosynthetic organisms in an ecosystem. It represents the difference between the total amount of energy captured through photosynthesis and the energy expended by the organisms during cellular respiration. In other words, it is the net gain of energy or biomass available for consumption by herbivores and other organisms within an ecosystem. It is a key indicator of the productivity and health of an ecosystem, reflecting the energy available for higher trophic levels and for supporting various ecological processes. Net zero Net zero emissions refer to the state in which the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere is balanced by an equivalent amount of greenhouse gases removed or offset. Achieving net zero involves reducing emissions through various measures, such as transitioning to renewable energy sources and improving energy efficiency, while also actively removing or offsetting remaining emissions. This concept is crucial in the context of addressing climate change, aiming to minimise the overall impact of human activities on Earth’s climate system. New Space New Space is a revolution in the commercialisation of space activities, enabling both new and established enterprises, including start-ups, Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large companies, to access space directly. The market has attracted a great deal of private investment, and in Earth observation many private satellites have been launched to provide remote sensing data for customers. Nitrogen dioxide Nitrogen dioxide is a reddish-brown gas and one of the nitrogen oxides, a group of air pollutants. It forms when nitrogen oxides produced during combustion processes, such as those in vehicles and industrial facilities, react with the atmosphere. Sources of nitrogen dioxide include motor vehicle emissions, power plants and certain industrial activities. In the atmosphere, nitrogen dioxide can contribute to air pollution and have adverse effects on human health. It is a key component of smog and can irritate the respiratory system, leading to respiratory problems, particularly in individuals with pre-existing conditions. Nitrogen dioxide also plays a role in the formation of acid rain and contributes to the formation of fine particulate matter, which can have environmental and health impacts. Monitoring and controlling nitrogen dioxide emissions are important for air quality management and public health. Nitrogen oxides Nitrogen oxides are a group of reactive gases that contain nitrogen and oxygen atoms. The two main nitrogen oxides are nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. Nitrogen oxides are produced through combustion processes, particularly in vehicles, power plants, industrial facilities and wildfires, where high temperatures cause nitrogen and oxygen in the air to react. In the atmosphere, nitrogen oxides can have various environmental and health impacts. It contributes to the formation of ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter, both of which can have detrimental effects on air quality and human health. Nitrogen oxide emissions also play a role in the nitrogen cycle and can lead to acid rain, affecting ecosystems and water quality. Nitrous oxide Nitrous oxide is a colourless and odourless gas composed of nitrogen and oxygen. It is a greenhouse gas with a variety of sources, both natural and human-induced. Nitrous oxide is naturally produced in soil through microbial processes, and it is released into the atmosphere through activities such as agricultural practices, industrial processes and the combustion of fossil fuels. While nitrous oxide makes up a relatively small portion of the Earth’s greenhouse gases, it is potent in terms of its ability to trap heat in the atmosphere. It plays a role in the greenhouse effect, contributing to global warming and climate change. Additionally, nitrous oxide is involved in the depletion of the ozone layer. NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Normalised Difference Vegetation Index The Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is a numerical indicator used in remote sensing to assess the health and abundance of vegetation cover on Earth’s surface. NDVI is calculated based on the reflectance of electromagnetic radiation in the red and near-infrared regions of the spectrum. NDVI is widely used in agriculture, forestry and environmental monitoring to assess vegetation conditions, monitor changes over time and provide valuable insights into land cover and ecosystem health. North Atlantic Oscillation The North Atlantic Oscillation is a climate phenomenon characterised by the variation of atmospheric pressure differences between the Icelandic Low (a low-pressure area near Iceland) and the Azores High (a high-pressure area near the Azores). O  Ocean An ocean is a large body of saltwater that covers more than 70% of the Earth’s surface. There are five major oceans: the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean. Oceans support a diverse array of marine life and play a crucial role in regulating Earth’s climate and weather patterns. Ocean colour Ocean colour is the hue or shade of blue, green or brown that is visible on the surface of the ocean. The colour of the ocean is affected by a number of factors, including the depth of the water, the amount of sunlight that penetrates the surface and the presence of microscopic plant-like organisms called phytoplankton. For example, chlorophyll and other pigments of phytoplankton can colour the water bright blue or green, while sediments can turn the water milky blue or brown. Orbit Orbit refers to the curved path that an object, such as a planet, satellite or moon, follows around another celestial body, typically due to gravitational attraction. Satellite orbits are the designated paths that artificial satellites follow around celestial bodies, typically Earth. These orbits are carefully chosen based on the specific mission objectives and requirements of the satellite. Satellites can occupy various types of orbits, such as low Earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), and geostationary orbit (GEO). Low Earth orbits are closer to Earth’s surface and are often used for Earth observation and communication satellites, providing relatively short orbital periods. Medium Earth orbits are positioned at intermediate altitudes and are commonly used for navigation satellites like those in the Global Positioning System (GPS). Geostationary orbits are located directly above the equator, allowing satellites to match Earth’s rotation and appear stationary relative to a fixed point on the ground, making them ideal for communication and weather satellites. Each orbit type offers distinct advantages depending on the satellite’s purpose and intended coverage area. Ozone Ozone is a gas that is naturally present in Earth’s atmosphere. It is formed when oxygen molecules are split apart by ultraviolet radiation from the sun and recombine with other oxygen molecules. Ozone is concentrated in a layer called the ozone layer, located in the stratosphere. The ozone layer plays a critical role in protecting life on Earth by absorbing most of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which can cause skin cancer, cataracts and other health problems in humans and animals. However, in the late 20th century, scientists discovered that certain human-made chemicals, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), were destroying the ozone layer. This led to the signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987, an international agreement to phase out the production and use of ozone-depleting substances. Today, the ozone layer is slowly recovering as a result of the Montreal Protocol and other international efforts. However, the process is expected to take several decades, and there is ongoing research to better understand the dynamics of the ozone layer and the impact of human activities on its recovery. Ozone hole The ozone hole is a region of severely depleted ozone in Earth’s stratosphere over the Antarctic. It is caused by the release of human-made chemicals, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which break down in the upper atmosphere and release chlorine and other compounds that destroy ozone molecules. Ozone is important because it absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun, which can cause skin cancer, cataracts, and other health problems in humans and other animals, as well as damage crops and other vegetation. The depletion of the ozone layer over Antarctica was first detected in the 1980s, and it has since become an important environmental issue. While the ozone hole is still present, it has been slowly recovering since the phase-out of ozone-depleting substances under the Montreal Protocol. Ozone layer The ozone layer is a natural layer of gas in Earth’s atmosphere that helps to protect the planet from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. It is mainly located in the stratosphere, between 15 and 30 km above Earth, and is composed of ozone molecules. The ozone layer is crucial for life on Earth, as prolonged exposure to UV radiation can cause skin cancer, cataracts, and other health problems in humans and animals. However, the ozone layer has been threatened by the release of human-made chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which can break down the ozone molecules. Efforts to reduce the production and use of CFCs have helped to slow down the depletion of the ozone layer, but it is still important to continue to monitor and protect it. Ozone mini hole The term ‘ozone mini hole’ typically refers to a localised and temporary reduction in the concentration of ozone in Earth’s stratosphere. Unlike the more widely recognised Antarctic ozone hole, which occurs annually over the Southern Hemisphere, ozone mini holes are smaller and less pronounced events that may occur in other regions or during different seasons. Ozone mini holes are often associated with specific atmospheric conditions that contribute to the depletion of ozone, such as the presence of polar stratospheric clouds and variations in temperature and sunlight. While they are not as severe or persistent as the Antarctic ozone hole, these mini holes can still have implications for regional ozone levels and may be influenced by factors like human-made ozone-depleting substances. P  Paleoclimate Climate as it existed in the distant past, before historical records. Paris Agreement The Paris Agreement is an international treaty established within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Adopted in December 2015 during the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP 21) in Paris, the agreement outlines global efforts to combat climate change and limit global warming. Particulates Particulates, also known as particulate matter (PM), refer to tiny particles or droplets in the air that can be solid or liquid. These particles vary in size and composition and can originate from natural sources, such as wildfires, dust storms, and volcanic eruptions, as well as human activities like industrial processes, transportation, and combustion of fossil fuels. Particulates are categorized based on their size, with PM10 representing particles with diameters of 10 micrometres or smaller and PM2.5 referring to even smaller particles with diameters of 2.5 micrometres or smaller. These fine particles can have significant impacts on air quality and human health as they can penetrate deep into the respiratory system when inhaled. Parts per billion Parts per billion (ppb) is a unit of measurement used to express the concentration of a substance in a mixture, solution, or the atmosphere. One part per billion is equivalent to one part of a substance for every billion parts of the total mixture. It is a very small unit of measurement, indicating a proportionally tiny amount. Payload Instruments that are accommodated on a spacecraft. Permafrost Permafrost is a layer of soil, sediment, or rock that remains at or below freezing temperatures for two or more consecutive years. It is typically found in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, where the ground is covered by snow and ice for much of the year. Permafrost is important because it stores large amounts of carbon and other greenhouse gases, as well as other organic matter and minerals. When permafrost thaws, it can release these stored materials into the atmosphere, amplifying global warming and climate change. Thawing permafrost can also cause the ground to become unstable, leading to land subsidence, landslides, and other hazards. Phi (ɸ) The ancient Greek letter ɸ (pronounced as ‘Phi’) symbolises harmony and a co-existence of different elements into one single entity. In science, besides the famous ‘golden ratio’, it also represents things that are in a state of flux as well as the momentum wave function in quantum physics. Phi-lab (ɸ-lab) ESA’s Φ-lab is an open innovation laboratory that acts as a hub and catalyst for Earth observation transformative ideas. Φ-lab aims to strengthen the world-leading competitiveness of the European Earth observation industrial and scientific sectors. Phi-Sat-1 (ɸ-sat-1) ɸ-sat-1, pronounced phisat-1, is artificial intelligence technology carried on one of the two CubeSats that make up the Federated Satellite Systems mission (FSSCat). Its hyperspectral camera images in the visible, near-infrared and thermal-infrared parts of the electromagnetic spectrum and acquires an enormous number of images of Earth. The ɸ-sat-1 artificial intelligence chip filters out less than perfect images image of Earth so that only usable data are returned. This makes the process of handling all these data more efficient, allowing users access to more timely information. Phi-Sat-2 (ɸsat-2) Φsat-2 is a miniature satellite – a cubesat – designed to demonstrate how different Artificial Intelligence technologies can advance observing Earth from space. As well as carrying a multispectral imager, Φsat-2’s Artificial Intelligence applications will, for example, eliminate images that are cloudy, detect and classify maritime vessels and transform images into street maps for disaster response. Photosynthesis Photosynthesis is the biological process by which green plants, algae and certain bacteria convert light energy into chemical energy in the form of glucose or other sugars. This process takes place in the chloroplasts of plant cells, specifically in the green pigment called chlorophyll. In simple terms, carbon dioxide and water, in the presence of sunlight, are converted into glucose and oxygen. The glucose produced serves as an energy source for the plant and is essential for its growth and development. Meanwhile, the release of oxygen into the atmosphere during photosynthesis is a critical component of Earth’s oxygen cycle and supports the respiration of animals and other organisms. Phytoplankton Phytoplankton are microscopic, plant-like organisms that live in aquatic environments, including oceans, lakes, and rivers. They are the base of the marine food chain, converting energy from the Sun into organic matter through photosynthesis. Phytoplankton are important producers of oxygen and play a crucial role in regulating Earth’s climate by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Pixel A pixel, derived from ‘picture element’, represents the ground area which corresponds to the smallest unit of a digital image dataset. Polarimetry Polarimetry is a method of measuring and interpreting polarised waves, such as electromagnetic or visible light. This enables the analysis of an object or location.  Polar orbit A polar orbit is a specific type of satellite or spacecraft orbit that passes over or nearly over Earth’s polar regions. In a polar orbit, the satellite travels from pole to pole, or vice versa, as it orbits Earth. Polar vortex The polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air that is typically centred near Earth’s poles, particularly over the Arctic region. It is a natural and persistent atmospheric circulation pattern that forms during the winter months. Occasionally, disruptions or weakening of the polar vortex can lead to the southward movement of frigid air masses, causing outbreaks of extremely cold temperatures in mid-latitude regions. These cold air outbreaks are often associated with severe winter weather, including snowstorms and freezing conditions. Pollutant A pollutant is a substance or agent introduced into the environment that has harmful or undesirable effects on living organisms, ecosystems or the environment as a whole. Common pollutants include air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, and particulate matter, as well as water pollutants like chemical contaminants and microbial agents. Pollutants can have adverse effects on air quality, water quality, soil health and the overall balance of ecosystems. Positive feedback An interaction that amplifies the response of the system in which it is incorporated. PPM PPM stands for ‘parts per million’ which is a way of expressing the concentration of one component in the larger sample. Climate scientists and activists use the term to describe the concentration of pollutants, like carbon dioxide or methane, in the atmosphere.  Proba-1 Proba-1, Project for On-Board Autonomy is a small Earth observation satellite developed by ESA. It is part of the Proba (PRoject for On-Board Autonomy) series, which aims to demonstrate advanced spacecraft and instrument technologies. Proba-V Proba-V is a small Earth observation satellite developed by ESA. Launched on May 7, 2013, Proba-V is part of the Proba (PRoject for On-Board Autonomy) series, which focuses on demonstrating innovative technologies and conducting Earth observation missions. The ‘v’ in Proba-V stands for vegetation. Primary productivity Primary productivity refers to the rate at which primary producers, such as plants, algae and certain bacteria, convert solar energy into organic compounds through the process of photosynthesis. It represents the synthesis of organic matter, usually in the form of carbohydrates, from inorganic substances like carbon dioxide and water. Primary productivity is a critical component of ecosystems as it forms the basis of the food chain. The organisms that perform photosynthesis create a source of energy and nutrients for the entire ecosystem. The total amount of organic matter produced in a given area over a specific time period is a measure of the primary productivity of that ecosystem. There are two main types of primary productivity: gross primary productivity (GPP), which represents the total energy captured by producers, and net primary productivity (NPP), which accounts for the energy used by the producers in respiration. Q  Quantum computing An experimental form of computing that uses multiple quantum states to perform calculations, potentially achieving much faster results than a classical computer. The basic unit of information in quantum computing is the qubit. Quantum Computing for Earth Observation (QI4EO)  Quantum Computing for Earth Observation (QI4EO) draws on the power of quantum computers and quantum machine learning to improve performance, decrease computational costs and solve previously intractable problems in Earth observation information processing and analysis. R  R&D Research and development Radar interferometry The study of interference patterns caused by radar signals. Radiation Radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of electromagnetic waves or particles that release energy when absorbed by an object. Radiation budget The radiation budget refers to the balance between incoming and outgoing radiation in Earth’s atmosphere. It is a key concept in understanding the energy exchanges between Earth and space. Earth receives energy from the Sun, primarily in the form of shortwave solar radiation. This incoming solar radiation is partly reflected back to space by clouds, atmospheric particles, and Earth’s surface, and the rest is absorbed. On the other hand, Earth emits energy as longwave infrared radiation. This outgoing infrared radiation is influenced by factors such as Earth’s surface temperature, atmospheric composition and cloud cover. The radiation budget is considered balanced when the incoming solar radiation equals the outgoing infrared radiation. Rainforest A rainforest is a dense and lush forest ecosystem characterised by high annual precipitation, high humidity and a rich diversity of plant and animal life. These forests are typically found in tropical regions near the equator, where the climate is warm and wet throughout the year. Rainforests are vital contributors to global biodiversity, housing a wide variety of species, many of which are unique to these ecosystems. Real time As it happens. Reflection The return of light or sound waves from a surface. Remote sensing Remote sensing refers to the process of collecting information about objects, areas or phenomena from a distance, typically using sensors or instruments that are not in direct physical contact with the target. This technology allows the observation, measurement and monitoring of Earth’s surface, atmosphere and oceans from aircraft or satellites. Remote sensing instruments can capture various types of data, including imagery, spectrometry and radar signals. These data are then analysed to gather information about land cover, vegetation health, climate patterns, atmospheric composition and other environmental factors. Applications of remote sensing are diverse and include environmental monitoring, agriculture, forestry, urban planning, disaster management, and climate studies. Remote sensing provides a valuable tool for scientists, researchers and policymakers to acquire large-scale, accurate and up-to-date information about Earth’s features and processes. ROSE-L The Copernicus Radar Observation System for Europe in L-band (ROSE-L) will provide continuous day-and-night all-weather monitoring of Earth’s land, oceans and ice, and offer frequent observations of Earth’s surface at a high spatial resolution. ROSE-L will carry an active phased array synthetic aperture radar instrument. The radar antenna will be the largest deployable planar antenna ever built measuring an impressive 40 sq m. ROSE-L will deliver many benefits including essential information on forests and land cover, leading to improved monitoring of the terrestrial carbon cycle and carbon accounting. The mission will also greatly extend our ability to monitor minute surface displacements and helping detect geohazards. It will automatically map surface soil moisture conditions over land helping improve hydrology and weather forecasts and support the operational monitoring of sea and land ice across the Arctic. ROSE-L is one of six Copernicus Sentinel Expansion missions that ESA is developing on behalf of the EU.  Runoff Runoff refers to the movement of water, usually from precipitation, across the land surface. When rain, snowmelt, or other forms of precipitation occur, the water does not always get absorbed by the soil. Instead, it may flow over the land surface, forming streams, rivers or eventually reaching larger bodies of water like lakes or oceans. The amount of runoff is influenced by various factors, including the type of soil, land cover, slope of the terrain and the intensity and duration of precipitation. Impermeable surfaces like pavement and urban areas can increase runoff, as water is less able to infiltrate the ground. Runoff plays a significant role in Earth’s hydrological cycle and can have implications for water availability, erosion, flooding and the transport of nutrients and pollutants. Understanding runoff is crucial for managing water resources and mitigating the impacts of extreme weather events. S  Salinity Salinity is a measure of the saltiness or salt content of a body of water. Scattering Scattering, in a general sense, refers to the process of redirecting the path of light, sound, or other waves as they encounter particles, obstacles, or irregularities in a medium. This phenomenon occurs when waves interact with objects that are smaller than their wavelength. The direction and intensity of the waves may change due to scattering. In the context of light, scattering plays a crucial role in various natural phenomena. In atmospheric science, scattering is fundamental to understanding the behaviour of electromagnetic waves, such as in remote sensing or the dispersion of sunlight. Scatterometer A scatterometer is a radar designed for the measurement of ground or sea reflectivity. Science for Society Through its Science for Society activities, ESA’s Earth observation programme forges new scientific discoveries and pioneers new services, stimulating downstream industrial and economic growth. These activities drive the development of a network of Earth observation exploitation platforms in Europe to foster easier and more comprehensive exploitation of the data. Scouts Scout missions are a new component of ESA’s Earth Observation FutureEO programme. This family of small satellites delivers value-added science, either by demonstrating new observing techniques in space or by miniaturising existing space technologies. A Scout mission is defined by three key aspects: it must deliver innovative science and technology, it must cost less than €30 million (€35 million pending approval) and it must be developed within three years, from kick-off to launch. Sea-ice thickness Sea-ice thickness refers to the measurement of the vertical dimension of ice floating on the ocean surface. It is a crucial parameter in understanding the state and dynamics of sea ice, which plays a significant role in Earth’s climate system. Sea-ice thickness can vary widely, ranging from a thin layer of newly formed ice to multi-year ice that has survived multiple melt seasons. The thickness of sea ice is influenced by factors such as freezing and melting processes, atmospheric conditions and oceanic heat flux. Sea level Sea level refers to the average level of the surface of the world’s oceans. It serves as a baseline reference point for measuring elevation and depth on Earth. Sea-surface temperature (SST) The average temperature of water close to the ocean’s surface. Sensor A sensor refers to a specialised instrument or device that is designed to collect data from space and Earth’s atmosphere. These sensors are equipped on satellites for various purposes, including Earth observation, environmental monitoring and scientific research. Satellite sensors can be classified into different types based on the kind of data they collect. Some common satellite sensors include optical sensors which capture images of Earth’s surface using visible and infrared light. They are used for applications like land cover mapping, agriculture monitoring and urban planning. Radar sensors use radio waves to detect and measure the properties of the Earth’s surface. They are useful for all-weather and day-and-night imaging, making them valuable for applications such as topography mapping and monitoring changes in land surfaces. Thermal infrared sensors measure the infrared radiation emitted by Earth’s surface, providing information about temperature variations. They are used in applications like climate studies, thermal mapping and identifying heat sources. Sentinel-1 Sentinel-1 is a polar-orbiting, all-weather, day-and-night radar imaging mission for land and ocean services. Sentinel-2 Sentinel-2 is a polar-orbiting, multispectral high-resolution imaging mission for land monitoring to provide, for example, imagery of vegetation, soil and water cover, inland waterways and coastal areas. Sentinel-3 Sentinel-3 is a multi-instrument mission to measure sea-surface topography, sea- and land-surface temperature, ocean colour and land colour with high-end accuracy and reliability. Sentinel-4 Part of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), Sentinel-4 focuses on monitoring atmospheric composition over Europe. Sentinel-5 Part of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), Sentinel-5 monitors global atmospheric composition, including key pollutants and greenhouse gases. Sentinel-5P Sentinel-5 Precursor – also known as Sentinel-5P – is the first Copernicus mission dedicated to monitoring our atmosphere. The satellite carries the state-of-the-art Tropomi instrument to map a multitude of trace gases, which affect air quality and climate. Sentinel-6 Sentinel-6 carries a radar altimeter to measure global sea-surface height, primarily for operational oceanography and for climate studies. Seosat-Ingenio SEOSAT-Ingenio – Spanish for ingenuity – was designed to image Earth’s land with a resolution of 2.5 m. With its capability to look sideways, it could have accessed any point on Earth within three days. The mission would have benefitted society through numerous disciplines such as cartography, agriculture, forestry, urban development and water management. SMOS ESA’s Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission is making global observations of soil moisture and ocean salinity. By consistently mapping these two variables, SMOS is advancing our understanding of the exchange processes between Earth’s surface and atmosphere and helping to improve weather and climate models. Soil moisture Soil moisture refers to the amount of water content present in the soil. It represents the proportion of water relative to the total volume of soil, typically expressed as a percentage. Monitoring soil moisture from space involves measuring the water content in the top layer of the soil, which plays a crucial role in various environmental processes. Soil sealing Soil sealing refers to the process whereby soil surfaces are covered by impermeable materials such as concrete, asphalt or buildings, preventing water from infiltrating into the ground. This usually occurs in urban and industrial areas because of construction, car parks and other forms of development. When soil is sealed, it loses its ability to absorb rainwater, leading to increased surface runoff and reduced groundwater recharge. This can contribute to various environmental problems, including flooding, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity and decreased soil fertility. Soil sealing also exacerbates the urban heat island effect by reducing the cooling effect of soil evaporation and vegetation. Solar flare A solar flare is a tremendous explosion on the Sun that happens when energy stored in ‘twisted’ magnetic fields (usually above sunspots) is suddenly released. In a matter of just a few minutes they heat material to many millions of degrees and produce a burst of radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to X-rays and gamma rays. Scientists classify solar flares according to their peak brightness in X-ray wavelengths. There are five categories, listed here in order from most intense to least intense: X-class flares are the biggest; they are major events that can trigger radio blackouts around the whole world and long-lasting radiation storms in the upper atmosphere. M-class flares are medium-sized; they generally cause brief radio blackouts that affect Earth’s polar regions. Minor radiation storms sometimes follow an M-class flare. C-class flares are small with few noticeable consequences here on Earth. At its peak, a C-class flare is ten times less powerful than an M-class flare. B-class flares are ten times smaller or weaker than C-class flares. A-class flares are at least ten times less intense than B-class flares, with no noticeable consequences on Earth. To indicate the strength of a flare, the class letter is often followed by a number. The higher the number, the stronger the flare. Solar maximum The point in the solar cycle at which sunspot activity is highest. Solar minimum The point in the solar cycle at which sunspot activity is lowest. Solar radiation Solar radiation refers to the energy received from the Sun, primarily in the form of visible light, infrared radiation and ultraviolet radiation. This radiant energy is a fundamental source of heat and light for Earth, driving various atmospheric and surface processes. Sounder A specialised type of radiometer designed to gauge variations in atmospheric temperature at different altitudes. Southern oscillation The Southern oscillation refers to a climate phenomenon characterised by the periodic, seesaw-like changes in atmospheric pressure patterns between the eastern and western tropical Pacific Ocean. It is a part of the larger El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate system. During the Southern Oscillation’s positive phase, known as La Niña, the eastern tropical Pacific experiences cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures, leading to higher-than-normal atmospheric pressure. In contrast, the negative phase, known as El Niño, involves warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific, accompanied by lower-than-normal atmospheric pressure. These phases of the Southern Oscillation have widespread effects on global weather patterns, influencing rainfall, temperature and atmospheric circulation. La Niña tends to be associated with increased rainfall in some regions and drought in others, while El Niño can bring about opposite effects, such as reduced rainfall in normally wet areas and increased precipitation in typically arid regions. Space for a Green Future Accelerator ESA’s Space for a Green Future Accelerator responds to the global climate and environmental crisis, in support to a sustainable Green Transition towards a carbon-neutral, resource-efficient and resilient society. It will stimulate the development, deployment and use of advanced data, science, technology, applications and services for a sustainable life on Earth. The accelerator will deliver actionable information, assessing scenarios for policy implementation and tailored services for European decisionmakers to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 and establish global leadership in the competition for the rapidly emerging green economy. In doing do, it will also contribute to the European social and economic well-being, minimising the socio-environmental impacts caused by climate change. Spatial Refers to a location, size or area of something. Spatial resolution Spatial resolution refers to distance between independent measurements, or the physical dimension that represents a pixel of the image. Spectral band Spectral bands are different ranges of wavelengths of light that are captured by a satellite sensor. Stratosphere The stratosphere is the second layer of the atmosphere of the Earth, located above the troposphere and below the mesosphere. Subduction Subduction is a geological process that occurs at the boundary between two tectonic plates, where one plate moves beneath the other and sinks into Earth’s mantle. This occurs because the denser oceanic plate is pulled down by gravity into the hotter and more fluid mantle beneath the less dense continental plate. As the oceanic plate descends, it causes earthquakes and creates magma that rises to the surface, leading to volcanic activity. Subduction is responsible for the formation of many of the Earth’s mountain ranges, such as the Andes in South America, the Cascades in North America and the Japanese Alps. Subsidence Subsidence is the sinking of Earth’s surface, often caused by natural or human-induced factors. Natural subsidence can occur due to geological processes such as the compaction of sediments, the collapse of underground caverns or sinkholes, or the natural settling of wetlands. Human-induced subsidence is often caused by activities such as groundwater extraction, mining, and the construction of buildings and infrastructure. Subsidence can have serious consequences, including damage to buildings and infrastructure, increased risk of flooding, and the loss of land and ecosystems. In coastal areas, subsidence can exacerbate the effects of sea level rise, increasing the risk of coastal erosion and flooding. Sulphur dioxide Sulphur dioxide is a colourless gas composed of one sulphur atom and two oxygen atoms. It is produced by the combustion of fossil fuels containing sulphur and various industrial processes. Sulphur dioxide is a major air pollutant, contributing to respiratory issues in high concentrations. Sun-synchronous Sun-synchronous refers to a specific type of orbit used by Earth observation satellites that enables them to pass over any given point on Earth’s surface at the same local solar time during each orbit. In a sun-synchronous orbit, the satellite maintains a consistent angle between its orbital plane and the Sun, which results in a fixed illumination angle for the observed area. This orbit is designed to optimise the acquisition of consistent and uniform lighting conditions across successive satellite passes, facilitating better comparison of images and data collected over time. Sun-synchronous orbits are commonly used in applications such as Earth observation, remote sensing and environmental monitoring, where consistent lighting conditions are essential for accurate data interpretation and analysis. Sunglint Sunglint refers to the phenomenon where sunlight is reflected directly back towards an observer on Earth’s surface from a water body, creating a bright, mirror-like reflection. This effect occurs when the angle between the incoming sunlight, the water surface and the observer is favourable for the reflection. Sunglint can be observed in satellite images and photographs, and it often appears as a shimmering or glinting area on the water’s surface, making it challenging to discern features beneath the reflection. Scientists and satellite observers take sunglint into account when interpreting and analysing Earth observation data. Sunspot A region on the surface of the Sun that is temporarily cool and dark compared to surrounding areas. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 global goals established by the United Nations in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The SDGs are designed to address a range of interconnected social, economic and environmental challenges facing the world. They provide a comprehensive framework for countries, organisations and individuals to work collectively towards a more sustainable and equitable future. SWARM Swarm is a constellation of three satellites to measure precisely the magnetic signals that stem from the magnetosphere, ionosphere, Earth’s core, mantle, crust and the oceans. This sampling, in both space and time, will lead to an improved understanding of the processes that drive Earth’s ‘dynamo’, which appears to be weakening. Swath The area observed by a satellite as it orbits Earth. Synoptic view The ability to see large areas at the same time. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is a remote sensing technology that uses radar to create high-resolution images of Earth’s surface. Unlike optical remote sensing techniques that rely on visible or infrared light, SAR works by transmitting radio waves towards Earth’s surface and measuring the reflection of the waves. SAR is capable of imaging Earth’s surface regardless of cloud cover, darkness or weather conditions. It is used for a wide range of applications, including mapping and monitoring of terrain, detecting changes in land use, measuring ocean currents and wave heights, and monitoring natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes. SAR has many civilian applications in fields such as agriculture, forestry and environmental monitoring. T  Tango The Tango mission will measure and monitor three greenhouse gases: methane, carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide being emitted from large industrial sites. Tango will monitor 150–300 known large industrial facilities and power plants every four days. It will deliver high-resolution images of emission plumes as well as the surrounding pollution, with sufficient accuracy to determine emissions with a single observation. In fact, Tango will deliver higher-resolution images at these specific locations compared to the other three missions noted above provide, so therefore acts as a magnifying glass. Telemetry The process of recording and transmitting the readings of an instrument. Temperature Temperature is a measure of the degree of hotness or coldness of an object or substance, reflecting the average kinetic energy of its particles. It is typically measured using scales such as Celsius, Fahrenheit, or Kelvin and plays a fundamental role in determining the thermal state of matter, influencing physical properties and heat transfer processes. Temporal Refers to frequency of data acquisition. Terminus (glacier) The end of a glacier. Thermal Relating to heat. Thermosphere The thermosphere is the uppermost layer of Earth’s atmosphere, located between the mesosphere and the exosphere. It is a region of extremely low density, where the few remaining molecules are mostly oxygen and nitrogen. Despite its low density, the thermosphere is extremely hot, with temperatures that can reach over 1000°C due to the absorption of high-energy solar radiation. The thermosphere is also the site of many important natural phenomena, including the auroras, which are caused by charged particles from the Sun interacting with Earth’s magnetic field. The thermosphere is also home to satellites that orbit Earth, including the International Space Station. Third Party Missions The Third Party Missions (TPM) programme has been operating for over 45 years and consists of a series of satellites specifically focused on Earth observation which are owned by commercial and public organisations worldwide. Thunder Thunder is the sound produced by the rapid expansion of air surrounding a lightning bolt during a thunderstorm. It is a result of the intense heating of the air by the electrical discharge of lightning, causing the air to rapidly expand and create a shockwave. Thunder is often heard as a loud, rumbling noise and is a natural phenomenon associated with atmospheric electrical activity. Topography Topography refers to the physical and detailed mapping of the surface features of a region, including its natural and human-made features such as mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes, roads and buildings. It involves the representation of the variations in elevation and terrain relief, providing a three-dimensional description of Earth’s surface. Trace gas A trace gas is a gaseous component in Earth’s atmosphere that makes up only a small fraction of the overall composition. Despite its low concentration, trace gases play significant roles in atmospheric processes and climate dynamics. Examples of trace gases include greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane and ozone, as well as various pollutants and atmospheric constituents that may have important environmental and climatic implications. Transpiration The process of losing water through the surface or skin of a body or a plant. Tropical From or relating to the area between the two tropics. Tropomi The Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (Tropomi) is a state-of-the-art spectrometer mounted on the Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite. Tropomi is designed to measure a wide range of atmospheric trace gases with high spatial resolution. It provides crucial data on air quality, greenhouse gas concentrations, and other atmospheric components, contributing to the monitoring of environmental changes and supporting climate research. Troposphere The troposphere is the lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere, extending from the surface to an average altitude of about 8 to 15 km. It is where weather events occur and is characterised by a decrease in temperature with increasing altitude. The troposphere contains the majority of Earth’s air mass and is crucial for supporting life and various meteorological phenomena. It is where clouds form, and the majority of Earth’s weather, including rain, snow, and storms, takes place. The boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere, called the tropopause, marks the upper limit of this layer. Tropospheric ozone Ozone that is in the troposphere. TRUTHS The Traceable Radiometry Underpinning Terrestrial- and Helio-Studies, TRUTHS, mission will be a ‘standards laboratory in space’, setting the ‘gold standard’ reference for climate measurements. Carrying a cryogenic solar absolute radiometer and a hyperspectral imaging spectrometer as well as a novel onboard calibration system, TRUTHS will make continuous measurements of incoming solar radiation and reflected radiation to evaluate Earth’s energy-in to energy-out ratio. Tundra Tundra is a biome characterised by vast, treeless landscapes with low temperatures and a short growing season. Found primarily in the Arctic and subarctic regions, as well as some high-altitude mountain areas, tundra environments are dominated by low shrubs, grasses, mosses, and lichens. The soil is often frozen, a condition known as permafrost, which limits the depth of plant roots. U  Ultraviolet radiation Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a type of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths shorter than visible light but longer than X-rays. UV radiation is naturally present in sunlight and can also be artificially produced by certain types of lamps and lasers. While UV radiation has many beneficial effects, such as helping the human body produce vitamin D, it can also be harmful to human health. Exposure to too much UV radiation can cause skin damage, including sunburn and skin cancer, and can also damage the eyes. To protect against UV radiation, it is important to wear protective clothing, use sunscreen, and avoid direct exposure to sunlight during peak hours. UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Upwelling Upwelling is an oceanographic phenomenon in which cold, nutrient-rich waters from thedeep ocean rise to the surface. This typically occurs along coastlines where prevailing winds push surface waters away, allowing the colder, nutrient-laden waters to well up and replace them. Upwelling is essential for marine ecosystems as it brings nutrients to the surface, supporting the growth of phytoplankton and initiating a cascade of biological productivity. V  Validation Validation refers to the process of assessing the accuracy and reliability of the data collected by satellite or remote sensing instruments by comparing it with independent, ground-based measurements or established reference data. Validation is a critical step in ensuring the quality and trustworthiness of the information obtained from Earth observation systems. W  Water cycle The water cycle, also known as the hydrological cycle, is a continuous and natural process through which water circulates within Earth’s atmosphere and surface. It involves the phases of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, runoff and infiltration. Water is constantly evaporating from oceans, lakes and rivers into the atmosphere, where it forms clouds through condensation. The condensed water then falls back to Earth’s surface as precipitation, including rain, snow, sleet or hail. This water can flow over the land surface as runoff, infiltrate into the ground, or be taken up by plants. The water cycle plays a crucial role in maintaining Earth’s water balance, sustaining ecosystems and influencing climate patterns. Water vapour Water vapour is the gaseous form of water, existing in the atmosphere. It is the result of water undergoing the process of evaporation, where liquid water is transformed into vapor due to an increase in temperature. Water vapour is an essential component of the Earth’s atmosphere and is involved in the water cycle, contributing to processes such as condensation, cloud formation, and precipitation. The amount of water vapour in the air can vary with temperature and atmospheric conditions, influencing weather patterns and humidity levels. Wavelength The distance between two waves of energy. Weather When you look outside your window on any given day, what you see is weather. Weather shows the way the atmosphere behaves and can change from minute-to-minute, hour-to-hour and day-to-day. There are many components to weather, which include temperature, rain, wind, hail, snow, humidity, flooding, thunderstorms, heatwaves and more. WMO World Meteorological Organization   --- ## Privacy Policy URL: https://www.myskeye.com/privacy-policy/ Type: page Modified: 2025-03-03 Privacy & Cookie Policy Last updated: February 26, 2025 This Privacy Policy describes Our policies and procedures on the collection, use and disclosure of Your information when You use the Service and tells You about Your privacy rights and how the law protects You. 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With growing concerns about resource allocation, environmental conservation, and agricultural sustainability, organizations responsible for monitoring land use are turning to advanced technologies for solutions. One of the most promising approaches involves using artificial intelligence (AI) in combination with satellite imagery to automate and enhance the process of land use verification. This blog explores how these technologies are reshaping land management and ensuring data integrity for regulatory and grant distribution processes. The Challenges of Traditional Land Use Verification Land use verification typically involves confirming that the actual use of a piece of land matches what has been declared, such as in grant applications or compliance reports. This process is essential for ensuring that resources like subsidies, conservation funding, or agricultural grants are allocated appropriately. However, several challenges make manual verification a complex and time-consuming task: Varied Vegetation PatternsDifferent regions have distinct vegetation characteristics that are not easily captured by one-size-fits-all AI models. When local vegetation does not match the training data used in generic models, accuracy in land use predictions can suffer. Diverse Agricultural Practices and Field SizesIn some areas, agricultural plots are much smaller than in other regions, making it difficult for standard AI models to detect and interpret land use correctly. This limitation often necessitates a specialized approach that accounts for local field characteristics. Detection of False Registrations and Data Integrity IssuesEnsuring that reported land use matches the reality on the ground is crucial. Discrepancies can arise from errors, misreporting, or fraudulent claims. The ability to automatically detect inconsistencies between declared and actual land use is a significant advantage. Manual Verification BottlenecksManually cross-checking land use declarations against actual satellite imagery is labor-intensive and can take several months, particularly in areas with a large number of land parcels. Integration with Existing Data SystemsAny automated solution must seamlessly integrate with an organization’s existing data formats and workflows. This often includes handling complex geospatial data formats that preserve spatial geometries and support advanced data queries. How AI and Satellite Imagery Can Solve These Challenges Combining AI with satellite imagery provides a powerful way to automate land use monitoring and overcome traditional bottlenecks. By leveraging advanced computer vision techniques, machine learning algorithms, and large-scale geospatial datasets, it is now possible to build systems that predict land use patterns with high accuracy. Here’s how these technologies come together to transform land management: Creating Custom Datasets for AI TrainingTraining AI models on data that accurately reflects the local environment is crucial. This often involves creating a custom dataset from satellite imagery and geospatial data specific to the area being monitored. By fine-tuning the model on local conditions—such as unique vegetation patterns and the distribution of land parcels—the AI can achieve much higher accuracy compared to generic off-the-shelf solutions. Automating Land Use ComparisonOnce trained, the AI model can be used to automatically compare the predicted land use with what has been declared in official records, such as grant applications. When discrepancies are detected, the system flags them for review, enabling organizations to quickly identify cases that may require further investigation. This not only improves the integrity of land use data but also ensures that resources are allocated based on verified information. Efficient Data Handling and IntegrationThe output generated by AI models can be formatted to match the organization’s existing data infrastructure. For instance, producing results in standardized geospatial data formats, ensures that field geometries are preserved and that spatial data can be easily queried and analyzed. This seamless integration enables organizations to maintain their established workflows while gaining the benefits of automated land use monitoring. Key Benefits of Using AI and Satellite Imagery for Land Monitoring The adoption of AI and satellite imagery for land use verification provides several compelling benefits: Improved Accuracy in Detecting DiscrepanciesBy leveraging satellite data and machine learning techniques, AI models can detect subtle differences between declared and actual land use predicted by the AI model that would be challenging to identify manually. This capability significantly improves the accuracy of detecting false registrations and other data integrity issues. Significant Time and Labor SavingsAutomating the verification process can reduce the time and the number of human resources required to cross-check land use claims from months to just a few days. This efficiency allows organizations to reallocate resources to other critical tasks, improving overall productivity. Scalability for Various Land Use Monitoring NeedsAI-driven land monitoring systems can be adapted to various applications, such as urban planning, deforestation tracking, and agricultural management. The scalability of these solutions makes them suitable for large-scale projects as well as more localized land use assessments. Seamless Data Integration and CompatibilityFormatting AI outputs in commonly used geospatial data formats facilitates easy integration with existing systems. Organizations can continue using their current tools and processes without the need for extensive changes to accommodate the new technology. Customization for Local NeedsUnlike generic AI solutions, custom models can be tailored to account for local conditions, such as distinct vegetation, land management practices, and specific regulatory requirements. This customization ensures that the AI system provides results that are relevant and actionable for the specific region being monitored. A Real-World Example: Implementing a Custom AI Solution with one of Smart Studio’s clients In a recent project, a custom-built AI model was developed to predict land use and flag discrepancies based on satellite imagery. The system underwent a two-phase approach: Proof-of-Concept PhaseThe project started with a proof-of-concept to evaluate whether an off-the-shelf AI model could meet the requirements. It quickly became evident that a customized solution was necessary due to the unique local landscape and small-scale agricultural fields. A tailored AI model trained on region-specific data provided significantly better results. Full IntegrationAfter the proof-of-concept demonstrated the feasibility of the approach, the AI system was fully integrated into the organization’s workflows. The model automatically compared predicted land use with the declared information and flagged inconsistencies, allowing for quick and efficient investigations. The outputs were generated in the same format, ensuring compatibility with existing geospatial data systems and enabling easy querying of the output. Future Directions: Expanding the Use of AI in Land Management As the technology continues to evolve, the potential applications for AI and satellite imagery in land use monitoring are expanding. Future developments could include: Real-Time Monitoring: Enhanced satellite imaging capabilities may enable near real-time land use tracking, allowing for prompt responses to unauthorized activities. Integration with Other Data Sources: Combining satellite data with other geospatial datasets, such as drone imagery or IoT sensors, can provide a more comprehensive picture of land use dynamics. Predictive Analytics for Environmental Planning: AI can help forecast future land use changes, providing valuable insights for urban planning, conservation efforts, and disaster preparedness. Conclusion: The Transformative Potential of AI in Land Use Monitoring The combination of AI and satellite imagery offers a game-changing approach to land use monitoring. By addressing traditional challenges such as manual verification bottlenecks, data integration issues, and the need for local customization, these technologies make it possible to achieve greater accuracy and efficiency in managing land resources. Organizations adopting these advanced solutions stand to benefit from significant time and labor savings, improved data integrity, and the ability to scale their land use monitoring efforts across various applications. As AI and satellite imagery continue to mature, their role in revolutionizing land management will only grow stronger, providing smarter, more sustainable solutions for the future. --- ## AI Engineering URL: https://www.myskeye.com/services/ai-engineering/ Type: page Modified: 2024-11-03 Our Services AI Engineering An Overview Leveraging AI Technology Our AI Engineering services empower your organization to leverage AI technologies to drive innovation, optimize operations, and gain a competitive edge.    Whether you are looking to implement machine learning models, develop natural language processing solutions, or enhance your analytics capabilities, our expertise ensures that AI becomes a strategic asset within your business. What We Provide Computer Vision Computer Vision Automate many human-intensive task by training an AI model that learns to perceive and interpret visual data. Our cutting-edge computer vision solutions enable image and video analysis, object recognition, and more, opening up a world of opportunities for automation. Anomaly Detection Anomaly Detection With Anomaly Detection you can faster and easier protect your business by discovering outliers in millions of data records in real-time. This can be used in fraud detection of financial transactions and many other similar scenarios. Natural Language Processing Natural Language Processing Discover the magic of NLP, including Chatbots for seamless customer interactions, Speech Recognition for voice-driven interactions, and advanced NLP techniques for text comprehension. Improve your applications by incorporating human-like linguistic capabilities. Forecasting & Predictive Analytics Forecasting & Predictive Analytics Forecasting and Predictive Analytics can help you anticipate and get prepared for what is happening in the future. It can be used for personalisation, anticipating user actions, preventive maintenance that keep key equipments running reliability, and also recommendation systems. Strategic Advantages Why Use AI Engineering Competitive Edge Operational Efficiency Deeper Insights Gain the Innovative and Competitive Edge AI enables your organization to innovate faster and more effectively by automating complex tasks, predicting trends, and optimizing processes. This capability provides a significant competitive advantage in today’s fast-paced business environment. Operational Efficiency By automating decision-making and routine tasks, AI reduces the burden on your teams, allowing them to focus on high-value activities. This leads to improved productivity, reduced operational costs, and faster time-to-market for your products and services. Deeper Business Insights AI-driven analytics provide a deeper understanding of your business data, revealing insights that can inform strategy, improve customer experiences, and drive growth. With AI, your organization can make more informed decisions based on real-time data analysis. Gain the Innovative and Competitive Edge AI enables your organization to innovate faster and more effectively by automating complex tasks, predicting trends, and optimizing processes. This capability provides a significant competitive advantage in today’s fast-paced business environment. Operational Efficiency By automating decision-making and routine tasks, AI reduces the burden on your teams, allowing them to focus on high-value activities. This leads to improved productivity, reduced operational costs, and faster time-to-market for your products and services. Deeper Business Insights AI-driven analytics provide a deeper understanding of your business data, revealing insights that can inform strategy, improve customer experiences, and drive growth. With AI, your organization can make more informed decisions based on real-time data analysis. Our Approach Our approach to AI Engineering is centered around understanding your unique business challenges and opportunities. We begin by collaborating with your stakeholders to identify areas where AI can deliver the most impact.    Our team then designs and develops AI solutions that integrate seamlessly with your existing systems, ensuring that they enhance rather than disrupt your operations. We prioritize scalability, security, and ethical considerations in every project, ensuring that your AI solutions are robust, compliant, and aligned with your long-term business objectives.  --- ## AI For Satellite Images URL: https://www.myskeye.com/case-studies__trashed/ai-for-satelite-images/ Type: page Modified: 2024-10-29 Case Study AI for Satellite Images ARPA, a Malta-based government agency, needed an AI solution to predict land use in Malta, Gozo, and Comino from satellite images. Smart Studios developed a custom AI model tailored to the unique vegetation and field sizes of the Maltese Islands. ARPA Malta 2021 Project Overview ARPA, a Malta-based government agency responsible for managing EU grants for farmers, sought a technology partner to develop an AI solution that could predict land use across the Maltese Islands of Malta, Gozo, and Comino using satellite images. The AI model needed to automatically compare the land use declared by farmers for EU grants with actual land use and flag discrepancies for ARPA staff to investigate. The goal was to improve the efficiency and accuracy of ARPA’s grant monitoring process. The Challenge 1. Unique Vegetation Patterns 2. Small Field Sizes 3. False Land Use Registration 4. Local Data Requirements 5. Time Efficiency 6. Seamless Data Integration 1. Unique Vegetation Patterns The vegetation of the Maltese Islands was distinct compared to other regions, which meant that off-the-shelf AI models, trained on generalized datasets, performed poorly in predicting local land use. ARPA needed a custom AI solution that could recognize these specific characteristics. 2. Small Field Sizes The agricultural fields in Malta, Gozo, and Comino were much smaller than those seen in other parts of Europe, further complicating land use detection. Existing AI models struggled to accurately interpret such small-scale fields, necessitating a specialized approach. 3. False Land Use Registration A critical task for ARPA was to detect any false land use claims made by farmers in their EU grant applications. The AI system needed to compare the model’s predicted land use against the registered land use in order to identify discrepancies, including false registrations. 4. Local Data Requirements A custom AI model had to be developed and trained on local data, including satellite imagery specific to the Maltese Islands. Gathering and preparing this training data to reflect the landscape and field sizes in Malta was essential. 5. Time Efficiency Manually verifying land use claims is a time-intensive process, taking months to complete. ARPA needed an automated solution that could significantly reduce the time required to detect discrepancies. 6. Seamless Data Integration The output of the AI model had to integrate seamlessly with ARPA’s existing data formats, particularly in the form of GeoPackage (GPKG) files, preserving geometry and enabling easy querying of the attribute tables to detect changes. 1. Unique Vegetation Patterns The vegetation of the Maltese Islands was distinct compared to other regions, which meant that off-the-shelf AI models, trained on generalized datasets, performed poorly in predicting local land use. ARPA needed a custom AI solution that could recognize these specific characteristics. 2. Small Field Sizes The agricultural fields in Malta, Gozo, and Comino were much smaller than those seen in other parts of Europe, further complicating land use detection. Existing AI models struggled to accurately interpret such small-scale fields, necessitating a specialized approach. 3. False Land Use Registration A critical task for ARPA was to detect any false land use claims made by farmers in their EU grant applications. The AI system needed to compare the model’s predicted land use against the registered land use in order to identify discrepancies, including false registrations. 4. Local Data Requirements A custom AI model had to be developed and trained on local data, including satellite imagery specific to the Maltese Islands. Gathering and preparing this training data to reflect the landscape and field sizes in Malta was essential. 5. Time Efficiency Manually verifying land use claims is a time-intensive process, taking months to complete. ARPA needed an automated solution that could significantly reduce the time required to detect discrepancies. 6. Seamless Data Integration The output of the AI model had to integrate seamlessly with ARPA’s existing data formats, particularly in the form of GeoPackage (GPKG) files, preserving geometry and enabling easy querying of the attribute tables to detect changes. The Solution Smart Studios partnered with ARPA to create a custom-built AI model designed to meet the specific challenges of land use prediction and verification in Malta. The project was rolled out in two main phases: 1. Proof-of-Concept (POC) 2. Seamless Integration into ARPA’s Business Processes 1. Proof-of-Concept (POC) Smart Studios initially conducted a POC to test whether an off-the-shelf AI model could be used or if a custom-built AI model was needed. The POC revealed that the unique vegetation and small field sizes in Malta required a custom solution. The team developed a custom AI model, trained on local satellite data, that could accurately predict land use across the islands, providing much better results than generic models. 2. Seamless Integration into ARPA’s Business Processes Following the successful POC, ARPA extended the project to fully integrate the AI model into its grant management workflow. The AI system automatically compared the land use declared by farmers with the predicted land use and flagged any discrepancies, allowing ARPA staff to quickly detect false registrations. The output was provided in the form of GPKG files, which preserved the geometries of the fields and applied necessary SQL queries to the attribute tables. This allowed ARPA’s team to seamlessly view and analyze discrepancies between registered and actual land use. 1. Proof-of-Concept (POC) Smart Studios initially conducted a POC to test whether an off-the-shelf AI model could be used or if a custom-built AI model was needed. The POC revealed that the unique vegetation and small field sizes in Malta required a custom solution. The team developed a custom AI model, trained on local satellite data, that could accurately predict land use across the islands, providing much better results than generic models. 2. Seamless Integration into ARPA’s Business Processes Following the successful POC, ARPA extended the project to fully integrate the AI model into its grant management workflow. The AI system automatically compared the land use declared by farmers with the predicted land use and flagged any discrepancies, allowing ARPA staff to quickly detect false registrations. The output was provided in the form of GPKG files, which preserved the geometries of the fields and applied necessary SQL queries to the attribute tables. This allowed ARPA’s team to seamlessly view and analyze discrepancies between registered and actual land use. Project Execution 1. Custom Dataset Creation 1. Custom Dataset Creation Smart Studios developed a specialized training dataset using satellite imagery and local geospatial data from Malta, Gozo, and Comino. This ensured that the AI model was tailored to recognize the distinct characteristics of the Maltese landscape and the small size of the fields. 2. Automatic Land Use Comparison 2. Automatic Land Use Comparison The AI model was designed to automatically compare predicted land use with the registered land use in farmers’ EU grant applications. When discrepancies were detected, the system flagged these instances, enabling ARPA staff to investigate potentially false land use claims efficiently. 3. Seamless GPKG Integration 3. Seamless GPKG Integration To ensure compatibility with ARPA’s existing systems, the AI model’s output was formatted as GPKG files. These files maintained field geometries and applied SQL queries to attribute tables, allowing ARPA to easily detect changes and identify discrepancies without requiring extensive manual processing. 4. Significant Time Savings 4. Significant Time Savings Manually verifying land use claims could take several months. By automating the process, the AI model reduced this timeframe to a matter of days or weeks. This significant time saving allowed ARPA to process grant applications more quickly and efficiently, improving overall operational efficiency. Project Results 1. Improved Accuracy in Detecting False Registrations 1. Improved Accuracy in Detecting False Registrations The AI model’s ability to automatically compare predicted and registered land use significantly improved ARPA’s ability to detect false land use registrations, ensuring that EU grants were awarded based on accurate and verified data. 2. Time and Labor Savings 2. Time and Labor Savings The automation of the land use verification process saved ARPA several months of manual labor. What once took months to verify could now be done in a few days, allowing ARPA to allocate resources more effectively. 3. Seamless Data Integration and Analysis 3. Seamless Data Integration and Analysis The AI model’s output in GPKG format ensured a smooth integration with ARPA’s existing systems. The preserved geometry and applied SQL queries allowed ARPA staff to efficiently detect discrepancies between registered and predicted land use, improving the accuracy and efficiency of the grant approval process. 4. Custom AI Solution Tailored to Local Needs 4. Custom AI Solution Tailored to Local Needs The custom-built AI model was specifically designed for Malta’s unique landscape, ensuring that ARPA received accurate predictions that generic off-the-shelf models could not provide. This local data-driven approach led to much higher accuracy in land use predictions. 5. Scalable Solution 5. Scalable Solution The AI system was designed to be scalable, allowing ARPA to extend the use of the model to future projects or different geospatial analysis tasks, enhancing its overall value to the agency. Conclusion The partnership between ARPA and Smart Studios resulted in the development of a custom AI solution that not only improved the accuracy of land use predictions but also streamlined ARPA’s grant management process. The AI model successfully reduced the time and effort needed to detect false land use registrations, allowing ARPA to process grant applications more efficiently. The seamless integration of AI-generated data into GPKG files, along with the model’s ability to compare predicted and registered land use, made the system a vital tool for ensuring the integrity of EU grant distribution in Malta. This project demonstrated Smart Studios’ expertise in developing tailored AI solutions that address unique local challenges while delivering measurable improvements in efficiency, accuracy, and business process automation. --- ## Services URL: https://www.myskeye.com/services/ Type: page Modified: 2024-10-24 Our Services Have a digital project but missing the expertise, resources, or time to get it off the ground? We plan, design, and implement digital projects, ensuring quality, deadlines, and budget compliance. Whether you need to boost your team’s skills or require a full team to develop your digital solution, we’re here to make it happen. AI Engineering AI Engineering We develop custom AI solutions from data labelling to model training and system integration. Our AI expertise helps businesses enhance decision-making and automate complex tasks. Learn More Software Development Software Development We design and build apps and software tailored to your needs. Our solutions leverage emerging technologies to improve efficiency and user experience. Learn More Mobile App Development Mobile App Development We create high-quality mobile apps for various platforms. Our apps are designed to meet your business goals and provide a seamless user experience. Learn More Technology Consulting Technology Consulting Our consultants help you adopt holistic technology solutions, enhancing your business growth and agility. We evaluate risks and opportunities to ensure successful technology integration. Learn More Digital Transformation & Automation Digital Transformation & Automation We digitize and automate manual workflows, creating smooth digital business processes. Our approach leads your digital transformation and enhances operational efficiency. Learn More Staff Augmentation Staff Augmentation We provide rapid tech team augmentation through our global network of professionals. This service helps you quickly scale your team and meet project demands. Learn More --- ## Contact URL: https://www.myskeye.com/contact/ Type: page Modified: 2024-10-18 Get in Touch +356 9985 3658 info@smartstudios.io +356 9985 3658 Leave a Message Find Us 229A, St. Julian’s Street, B’Kara, Malta, BKR2805 --- ## 10 Benefits Of A Paperless Business URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/10-benefits-of-a-paperless-business/ Type: post Modified: 2024-07-05 The agenda of management meetings is very frequently filled in with items related to saving money saving time for staff and customers improving productivity and efficiency having more environmentally friendly processes A paperless business helps with all the above. Totally eliminating paper might sound impossible but technology nowadays has provided us with all the tools necessary to have a paperless business. The Covid-19 pandemic has shifted our workforce to work-from-home – and this accelerated the need for digital paperless processes. Yet many businesses are still far from reaping the full benefits of going paperless. In this article we hope to help you understand better why such a digital transition is beneficial. Here are 10 benefits of going paperless. Real-Time Collaboration : Collaboration is key in today’s working environment. With digital documents both staff and clients can edit the same file simultaneously – when while they are on the move. They can create, track changes of others, share, sign and file the documents collaboratively. The pain of having to merge different version of a physical document become a thing of the past.  Environmentally Friendly : A paperless business has a much lower carbon footprint than a traditional one. The production of paper has a huge impact on our forests. And without trees our planet cannot survive. And then think of the millions of toner cartridges that we dispose of every year and the harmful chemicals the ink contains. Going paperless is a big part of going green – it should be a key part of your Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Clients and partners appreciate companies which are sensitive to a sustainable environment.  Anytime – Anywhere : Paper documents cannot be made available anywhere 24/7. Digital documents can. This does not need much elaboration now that we’ve learned to work-from-home and from anywhere while we travel.  Less Storage Space : Digital documents do not need file cabinets and physical space – and they do not need staff to file them and to keep them ordered.  Better Client Communications : Sending a digital document to a client is much faster and cheaper than posting a physical document. Digital signatures are also a good way to create a new link to your customers. A better customer experience with fast turnaround times is priceless. That smile on your client’s face is priceless.  Easier Audit & Compliance : ensuring that all your documents are in line with regulations is much easier with digital documents. Think GDPR in Europe and HIPPA / SOX in the US. Complying with these regulations is much more difficult with physical documents. With digital documents you have an audit trail of usage and of all the changes.  Cheaper : paper, printers, copiers, ink and toners are expensive, as are file cabinets, the space to keep them and the staff to manage them. With digital documents you do not need any of this. You will have higher IT costs for the cloud, for backups, for security – but you will see noticeable cost savings.  Resilience In Case Of Disasters : A natural disaster can create havoc at your office at its file cabinets. With a digital setup your files will be in the cloud and/or in multiple physical locations for full resilience. Even key infrastructure is hit – you could be quickly up and running by restoring your backups.  Faster Payments : sending and receiving digital invoices and digital payments will result in a better cashflow for you and a better experience for your clients and suppliers. A Small (Big) TipGoing paperless is not all roses. Your data and your customers’ data is more secure with digital documents only if all security and disaster recovery measures are in place. Automatic backups, role-based security, your cloud account and redundant IT setups should be ready for any eventuality. You need to have a clear and well rehearsed disaster recovery plan and proper cybersecurity. As we depend more on technology we need to make sure we have all the ducks in a row for any eventuality – including theft, natural disasters and war. What Do You Need For A Paperless Business Document management system Contract management system – for digital legal documents Digital signature like Docusign, Hello Sign, Adobe Sign Accounting system with paperless quotes and invoicing like Xero, Quickbooks and Freshbooks. HR system with paperless processes to recruit and onboard new employees Digital payments – ability to pay without cash or cheques through online banking services, Revolut and Wise. Collaboration software like Microsoft Teams or Slack. Start SmallGoing paperless does not have to be an overwhelming process. You do not need to onboard all the above systems at once with a full digital transformation. Start by promoting a paperless culture. Every leader and every manager knows that change is slow and complex. But like all other projects this should be approached as a digitisation journey. Start by digitising your documents and converting processes that use physical files to use digital forms and workflow. Every journey starts with a few small steps of a few key people. --- ## 6 Ways AI Can Help Your Business URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/6-ways-ai-can-help-your-business/ Type: post Modified: 2024-07-05 AI is talked about a lot these days. And this risks downplaying its potential as just another buzzword. AI can be described as a digital brain i.e. a piece of software that is “intelligent”. It has been with us since the 1950s but in the last few years its adoption exploded. And there are clear good reasons for that a) we have more readily available data to train these digital brainsb) processing power is cheap and readily availablec) we have a lot of readily available products, services and algorithms that make the adoption simpler, faster and better than ever before AI in business is used in many ways. We can classify the uses as follows 1. Forecasting* Sales prediction (demand prediction) – how much am I going to sell this Black Friday, this Christmas. When will my sales start ramping up? i.e. by when do I need to have the items in stock? (for inventory optimisation)* Predictive maintenance* Predicting a price in the future (for price optimisation)* Predicting delays in time-sensitive processes like logistics* Customer churn prediction* Credit scoring 2. Personalisation at scale based on customer profile and buying history (hyper-personalisation)* Customer segmentation* Recommendation systems – suggesting the product/service the customer would be most interested in* Customisation of the product/service itself* Marketing of the product/service – such as targeted emails 3. Automation* Automation of manual processes (digitisation)* RPA (robotic process automation) & intelligent OCR can user to automate manual task like dealing with inputting forms, invoices and HR documents. Very useful when you are suffering from an information overflow in your business.* Driving (autonomous vehicles) 4. Anomaly detection* Defect detection in product manufacturing* Fraud detection* Suspicious behaviour 5. Natural language processing (read text, hear speech and interpret it)* Chatbots – that can answer the most common questions like “What are your opening hours?” “Do you have vegetarian options?” “Is there a parking area?”* Sentiment analysis* Virtual assistants* Interpreting legal contract and handwritten documents 6. Image Recognition through Computer Vision* Identifying the age, sex, and mood of customers – leading to customer profiling – from CCTV cameras. Uses in the industry are wide and diverse. Here are 5 popular uses of AI in the industry : Healthcare – identifying health issues from image scans Building management and the analysis of energy usage Insights from satellite images for weather forecasting and agriculture Helping the HR team to automatically screen candidates IOT platforms – where data gathered from intelligent sensors leads to decision making If you read the above, it all makes sense but do not know where to start then you should take this journey of using AI gradually – step-by-step. Make sure you keep some basic rules in mind. Do not focus on AI itself. Focus on the business challenge that you are facing and then see if AI is the best option to solve this challenge Onboarding an AI-based solution does not necessarily mean that you have to have the expertise to do it in-house nor that you have to hire external data scientists to do for you. There are a lot of off-the-shelve solutions where AI is already fully incorporated in their product/service. Even if you decide to build your own solution – there is no need to reinvent the wheel – nowadays we speak about “AI-as-a-service” as many AI models are readily available on the cloud, deployable with one click. AI is all about data. It is very important that you have clear and readily available data. That is the first step before any AI-based solution. Start small. Start where you already have a good enough dataset. For example your sales data / booking data is usually your low hanging fruit in terms of the benefits that you could gain by finding insights from that data. Finally a small word of caution. Onboarding AI-based solutions does some with its own set of. The main three challenges being the AI model can be biased. This bias is very dependent on the training dataset using to train the model. But yes, look out for bias. Lack of explainability. it is very often the case that you cannot explain how and why the AI model gives out the output / decision it does. There can be ethical aspect to consider when deploying an AI-based solution. For example is it ethical to have face recognition based systems for customer profiling. We hope this blog post help you understand better the opportunities (and the challenges) of on-boarding AI solutions in your business. If you have any comments or questions feel free to send them over. We are here to help. #ai #artificialintelligence #business #rpa #computervision #nlp #ai #automation #marketing #personalisation #forecasting #predictivemaintenance #churn #stockcontrol #anomalydetection #frauddetection #malta #technology #innovation --- ## 15 Tips To Help You Choose The Right Technology Vendor. URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/15-tips-to-help-you-choose-the-right-technology-vendor/ Type: post Modified: 2024-07-05 For every business challenge, for every pain point, for every need there are always critical decisions to be made. Do you build a solution yourself with your in-house team? Do you commission a custom-built solution from a provider? Or do you find an off-the-shelf solution that is already on the market. Getting it right is not easy. Taking such critical decisions is necessary but many-a-times so daunting that you would not know where to start. Each approach has its own pros and cons, however, very often, in business, time is of the essence. A business does not usually have the luxury to invest one or two years to build a custom solution. Thus going for an off-the-shelf solution is the most plausible approach. This approach comes with its set of challenges. Each business need is catered for by a long lists of technology vendors, each offering different approaches, different prices, different technologies. Shortlisting the best candidate solutions, selecting one of these many vendors and eventually onboarding their solution is both time consuming and requires specific skills to dissect each of the vendor offerings. Businesses that are not agile enough to select and implement solutions for their business needs lose out to more resilient competition. Let’s take a few simple examples listed in the table below. Businesses that want to move to adopt the listed technologies need to take the critical decision on which one to choose, and then to onboard the provider’s solution. CloudMicrosoft Azure, Amazon AWS or Google CloudDigital SignaturesDocusign, Hello Sign or Adobe SignCRMSalesforce, Zoho, MS Dynamics or HubspotHR & RecruitmentJobvite, Workable, Honestly or BambooHRIntegrationsZapier, Phantombuster or ParabolaPayment & Money TransferRevolut, Wise, Paypal or StripeOnline AdvertsFacebook Ads, Google Ads, Instagram Ads, LinkedInAdsService Desks & Ticketing SystemJira, Freshdesk or ZendeskProductivity & TeamworkJira, Asana or Clickup To make the choice the buyer has to   organise a side-by-side comparison of the best option get demos with the shortlisted solutions mitigate risks involved evaluate the scalability of each proposed solution evaluate and plan how the new solution will integrate to existing legacy systems Here are 15 tips to help you in this process… Consider all the stakehoders that will be involved but your vender selection – not just the direct users. Write a brief (RFP) of what you want/need. Don’t just accept what the vendor is offering. Make sure you create a map of requirment and that you consider both your technical requirement and also your business requirements. Rank your requirement based on MoSCow – must-have, should-have, could-have, and won’t-have. Most of the time the devil is in the details. So do read the fine print. Set yourself a schedule with specific dates of all the steps of the vendor selection process. As for a demo and involve all the relevant stakeholders to the demo. Make sure you consider the running costs and the maintenance costs – not just the one-time costs. Work out the cost of ownership & ROI of each proposal. When you select a vendor make sure you agree with them on details that you learned from the non-selected vendors. Don’t base your decision purely on price. Usually the lower prices are an indication of lower grade product/service. Dont’ just talk to the salesman / business development. Check what depth the vendor has to support you. Check how their support functions. Make sure the vendor has a performance clause with penalties linked to an SLA. Talk to people who can give you an unbiased opinion about the vendor you are about the select. Negotiate the price any vendor gives you. You can always get to a lower fair price. Ask for a project plan as part of the vendor’s proposal. Yes the list is very long but worry not. Smart Studios is here to help you. We are constantly seeking and trying out both traditional and emerging technologies, services and solutions across many technology and innovation areas including cybersecurity, business process workflows, human-centric design, cloud, digital transformation, IOT, AI & machine learning and many more. We are also active in open innovation platforms where established organisations and startups collaborate on specific solutions. This enables us to bring to the table a unique mix through which we can guide you in your vendor selection process – so that you can be sure you are selecting the one that fits your quality + time + financial requirements. Vendor selection can be tricky, but it is necessary. The decisions you make today for your business will frame your opportunities for future growth. #technology #vendor #cloud #digitalsignatures #CRM #hr #recruitment #integrations #payments #moneytransfer #ads #marketing #servicedesk #ticketingsystem #productivity #teamwork #malta --- ## Execution Pays Your Salary. Innovation Pays Your Pension. URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/execution-pays-your-salary-innovation-pays-your-pension/ Type: post Modified: 2024-07-05 Steve Blank, a living legend in the startup and innovation world, recently said “Execution pays your salary. Innovation pays your pension“. It is a provocative quote which gets you thinking. Why did a guru like Steve Blank say that? How did he arrive to that?  First off – there is nothing wrong with execution. You cannot innovate without execution. In past blog posts we emphasised multiple times  the importance of execution. In many blog posts we mentioned that startups and innovation are more about execution, than about having unique ideas. We mentioned that “ideas are cheap” and we give each of the two pillars the following percentage of importance – 15% idea, 85% execution. Steve Blank is not saying anything against execution. However basic passive execution will not get you far. Will not take you places. Short term opportunities will keep you going (“pay your salary”).   With the link to “pension” Steve Blank is emphasising the fact that innovation is long term. He is emphasising bigger, riskier opportunities. Do not expect immediate results from such opportunities. It’s like planning now for when we go on pension.  We are not all the same age, but most of us understand the concept of pension (hopefully).  With the revolution that is currently underway in the pension world some of you might think using the word “pension” makes this quote less relevant – especially with future generations who will probably not have a pension as we know it – however – we still think the word “pension” is very powerful in this context. It gives a clear link to longevity. To the beyond the short term plans. Innovation is risky. So counting on it “for your pension” is a big calculated risk. However done right it is a great path towards your “retirement”.  The topic of short-term vs long term has a long and winding history. The Aspen Institute for example created a framework – the prosperity project – to discourage short-termism. Many of us are just busy executing – making sure the short-term is ok – while we “forget” to innovate and to look at the long-term. There is one final element we would put in the mix with EXECUTION & INNOVATION in a recipe for success. And that is DISCIPLINE. You must be diligent and disciplined in your execution and also while you aim to innovate.  We hope we helped you dissect better what Steve Blank said. At least the above is our take at it.  And may your pension start much earlier than when the government / private fund gives you your first payment! Keywords : Steve Blank , innovation, execution, discipline, long term, short term, business, goals, strategy, leadership, success, management, Malta --- ## Digital Transformation – 5% digital 95 % human behaviour URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/digital-transformation-5-digital-95-human-behaviour/ Type: post Modified: 2024-07-05 Digital Transformation is very often marketed as a way of converting business processes and everything around them in a digital format – giving bigger cost savings, better and faster results. It means different things to different people but many associate it to going paperless, using the cloud, replacing legacy systems and/or to the onboarding of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and IOT. We do not want to burst any bubble, but in all our past digital transformation projects the biggest and most crucial element of a digital transformation project was NOT the digital element. Technology is the enabler of digital transformation. Technology can be a big driver to business innovation. So yes, selecting and implementing an appropriate digital architecture that streamlines the business process at hand is crucial but there is one element which has far more weight in the success of a digital transformation project – the human behaviour. A recent study found out that 84 percent of digital transformation initiatives fail. And there is a recurring reason : the inadequate attention to human behaviour. Focusing on technology alone is putting the cart before the horse. If you just deploy the most amazing technology solution – that fits perfectly in the challenge at hand – yet ignore the human element, rest assured that your digital transformation project is doomed to fail. Not 70, 80 or 90% failure – it would be a 100% failure. Yes 100% without ifs and buts. A key step is that of creating a stakeholder map which identifies all the stakeholders involved in the digital transformation project and then list down how each stakeholder is affected by the project. Customers, partners, employees, institutions – they all form part of the stakeholders. The customer/client must remain your key stakeholder. Every piece of the digital transformation puzzle must lead to a better customer experience.  If there is just one thing to obsess about it’s that of making sure that the customer is at the centre of your digital transformation process. Once this is in place many other elements of the project will fall into place much easier. Employees are the other key element. Everyone – from the CEO down has his contribution to give in the success of a digital transformation project. Such a project must be championed by the CEO. It is not an IT project led by the CTO or CIO. They stem from the overall business strategy, spearheaded by the CEO. The organisation’s culture – the culture of its people – their mindset is at the heart of every such project. It changes the way the stakeholders interact with each other and with the systems at their disposal. If the organisation has a culture of easily adapting and of onboarding new processes/methods/technologies without too much hassle, the success rate of the project increases exponentially. A culture that promotes the status quo will hinder any attempt for change. Even if it can be demonstrated that the project will ease some of the stakeholder’s pain points, they would still be afraid to take the chance and would prefer their current comfort zone rather than the promised unknown. Fostering a culture of continuous innovation – where everyone collaborates and openly communicates as one team is critical.  Nowadays going fully digital is no luxury. To remain competitive an organisation needs to constantly evolve, using technology as an enabler of better customer experience. Your industry might not be disrupted by the likes of Uber, Amazon or Netflix but it is surely not immune to the benefits technology has made possible. Leaving such transformation for bad times – when the bottom line is already badly affected – might be too late. Luckily you do not have to reinvent the wheel. While there is no one-size-fits-all formula, many organisations have already gone through the process – and both pitfalls and best practices are well known.  The secret to digital transformation is attention to human behaviour and the first step is to determine the WHY. Why are we doing this digital transformation project? What KPIs and business goals will determine  a successful outcome? If you would like to know more about the first steps of your Digital Transformation project give us a call on +356 99853658 or get in touch via the Contact form. We will work hand-in-hand through all the steps – both the technical/digital part and more importantly the part where human behaviour is involved. --- ## 10 Rules Of A Startup Founder URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/10-rules-of-a-startup-founder/ Type: post Modified: 2024-07-05 Learning from your mistakes is a great way to move forward. Yet learning from the mistakes of others is even better. Based on the mistakes many startup founders we spoke to did in the past, here are 10 rules to help you in your startup journey. 1. Find something you are passionate about. Persistence is a key element of your journey – so make sure your passion is on your side to help you throughout the journey. 2. Make a plan. Even if plans are bound to change you need to sit down and make a plan. Remember the saying “fail to plan, plan to fail”. 3. Focus more on the problem than on the solution. Fall in love with the problem rather than with your product/service. Once you identify the key pain point of your customer/client everything starts falling into place. 4. Focus more on execution of your plan. Do not obsess too much on finding the most brilliant idea. Ideas are cheap. And the initial idea will be evolved and you will pivot multiple times along the way. 5. Focus more on generating revenue rather than obsessing on keeping expenses low. You need to invest in order to generate more revenue. 6. Hire people that are brighter than you. Surround yourself with sharp people. People who are passionate about what they do. Treat each employee as an entrepreneur who is partnering with you and together you’re solving a problem that the market has. Start by hiring people you already know or worked with in the past and then find others would would fit in the company culture. 7. Focus on solving one core problem at a time. While we think we can multitask, in the long run the lack of focus will manifest itself in lacunas that may be very costly to correct. 8. Avoid office politics and “storms in a teacup” like the plague. Do not waste time and energy with in-house fighting over petty things. Disagreement is good, but it needs to lead to decisions going forward. The team needs harmony to move forward and people who create unnecessary friction should be fired on the spot. 9. Yes the customer is always right. Speak to customers directly. All the time. Ask them how they feel about your product/service. Those with unbiased negative feedback are your best friends. 10. Networking is good – but one to one relationships are more valuable. While marketing to large audiences, exhibiting at conferences and attending big networking events is a great way to meet potential clients and partners, one to one relationships are a much biggest asset. Closing a deal with people you know and have already built a level of trust in you/your company/ your team is much easier than doing the same thing with people you do not know. Also, word of month and personal referrals are the biggest source of hot leads one can have – and the easiest to convert. Do you know of any more rules we can add to the list? Are there any rule which are specific to Malta or the country/region your are in? Let us know your suggestions and and we’ll add it to the list. --- ## Serving 200 Million Online Subscribers – The Netflix Way URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/serving-200-million-online-subscribers-the-netflix-way/ Type: post Modified: 2024-07-05 Have you ever imagined what happens when you click the Play button on Netflix? Have you ever imagined the technical architecture that top brands use to support their highly resilient internet-facing platforms? To be able to server over 200 million subscriber Netflix has built an amazing subscription-based video steaming platform. Their service accounts for 15% of the world’s Internet bandwidth – so it is needless to emphasise the importance of 100% service availability and global scalability. It’s fascinating to learn that the technical architecture behind all this is not so complex. This article sheds so light into the microservices architecture used by Netflix. It is based on the article by Cao Duc Nguyet A Design Analysis of Cloud-based Microservices Architecture at Netflix The architecture is a great example of how to build microservices in the cloud, how we can leverage cloud API gateways (AWS in this case) and provide true configuration-based API facades. Each microservice can have its own datastore and some in-memory cache stores of recent results (EVCache in this case). It first tries to pull latest from cache else makes a call to data store. So let’s check the 8 steps of what happens inside the Netllix’s microservices architecture when you click the Play button.1. Client sends a Play request to Backend running on AWS. The request is handled by AWS Load balancer (ELB)2. AWS ELB will forward that request to API Gateway Service running on AWS EC2 instances. That component, named Zuul, is built by the Netflix team to allow dynamic routing, traffic monitoring & security, etc3. Application API component is the core business logic, in this scenario, the forwarded request from API Gateway Service is handled by Play API.4. Play API will call a microservice or a sequence of microservices to fulfill the request.5. Microservices are mostly stateless small programs, to control its cascading failure & enable resilience, each microservice is isolated from the caller processes by Hystrix.6. Microservices can save to or get data from a data store during its process.7. Microservices can send events for tracking user activities or other data to the Stream Processing Pipeline for either real-time processing of personalized recommendation.8. The data coming out of the Stream Processing Pipeline can be persistent to other data stores such as AWS S3, Hadoop HDFS, Cassandra, etc. #kafka #confluent #apachekafka #microservices #microservicesarchitecture #architecture #netflix #automation #businessintelligence #microservices #dataculture #hadoop #microservices #bigdata #awscloud #architecturedesign #cloud #pipelinemanagement Further Reading? If you want to know more about the microservices architecture used at Netflix here are some interesting links to read. NETFLIX system design by Narendra L Featuring Apache Kafka in the Netflix Studio and Finance World Chaos Monkey: A Beginner’s Guide Here is also an interesting video on the subject “Mastering Chaos – A Netflix Guide to Microservices” --- ## €5,000 Grant To Re-engineer Your Business Processes URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/e5000-grant-to-re-engineer-your-business-processes/ Type: post Modified: 2024-07-05 Thinking of restructuring and digitising key parts of your business?  A new scheme called “Business Process Re-engineering Scheme” by Malta Enterprise is aimed directly at helping Maltese businesses with this. The scheme covers up to €5,000 of the costs. We are happy to announce that Smart Studios is an approved service provider for this scheme.  We’ll work hand in hand through all the steps of your business process reengineering.  The scheme enables you to realign your business activity restructure your employees, product and / or service portfolio optimise the use of technology embrace green technologiesand practices The aid shall be awarded in the form of a cash grant covering 50% of the costs incurred up to a maximum grant of €5,000. Contact us at info at smartstudios.io to learn more about the scheme and on how we can assist you. All details of the scheme can be found on the Malta Enterprise website through the link below https://covid19.maltaenterprise.com/business-re-engineering-consultancy --- ## 10 Ways RPA Robots Can Work For You URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/10-ways-rpa-robots-can-work-for-you/ Type: post Modified: 2024-07-05 How much time do your accounts team spend retrieving invoices from various emails/platforms to upload them to your accounting system? How much time do your customer support agents spend extracting data from forms sent over by clients? How much precious time is spent every year sitting at one’s desk – doing repetitive manual tasks – extracting data from documents, emails and forms – and copy pasting them to Excel sheets? These and many other similar processes can all be automated through RPA. Robotic Process Automation is the technology that allows you to have computer software (i.e. a “robot”) that emulates and integrates the actions of a human interacting within digital systems – to execute a business process. RPA robots utilise the user interface to capture data and manipulate applications just like us humans do. They interpret, trigger responses and communicate with other systems in order to perform on a vast variety of repetitive tasks. And they can do it FASTER & BETTER – an RPA software robot never sleeps and makes zero mistakes. In contrast to other traditional IT solutions, RPA allows organisations to automate at a fraction of the cost and time, previously impossible. RPA is also non-intrusive in nature and leverages the existing infrastructure without causing disruption to your underlying systems, which would be difficult and costly to replace. With RPA, cost efficiency and compliance are no longer an operating cost but a byproduct of the automation. Here are 10 ways RPA software robots can work for you. They can… Log into any application and retrieve something for you Read and work on any frontend application Call external APIs and retrieve/store data for you Copy and paste data from one application to another Move files and folders, even if this involves FTPing files or sending them to an API Extract data from documents, PDFs, emails, forms and any web/desktop application Connect to your email boxes and retrieve information from there Interconnect diverse business systems that were not designed to communicate with each other Scan, read and even compose/send e-mails Analyse data and take action on the results Let’s take a closer look at two scenario where RPA software robots can help… Scenario 1 : Retrieving Invoices From Emails/Portals : it is very common that invoices are sent via email these days. Your inbox has links/pdfs of the various Google Suite, Microsoft Office 365, Go Daddy, Netflix, Zoom, cloud providers, airline tickets, mobile phone bills, internet provider bills, hotel bookings, taxi companies, the list is endless, and you have to go around the various emails or the various portals to download the invoices, and insert them into the accounting system. Alternatively an RPA robot can fetch documents/data from different sources in seconds – and it can go even further – to automatically approve valid invoices and even trigger a financial transfer. An RPA software robot can do this for you 24/7 without errors. Scenario 2 : Forms Sent To The Customer Support Team : it is equally common that customer support staff find themselves repeatedly dealing with filled-in forms sent over by the clients. Documents arrive via email to one of the customer support agents. The agent will take note of its contents, compile it and save it to some other system. Just imagine how much time is spent in one year on such a process. And can you imagine the human errors that occur in the process? An RPA software robot can do this for you 24/7 without errors. Visible ROI In A Short Time – Win – Win – Win Implementing RPA is not a complex process. Depending on the task at hand a typical deployment could take just 3 weeks. The investments in the RPA bots will give back positive ROI in a relatively short time. You free up your staff from repetitive work – making them happier at their job. The repetitive jobs at their desk are passed on to the RPA bots. This would improve the team KPIs and at the same time reduce the risk of human error. Staff win – they are happier with more time for key tasks. Customers win – they receive a faster, error free service. Company wins – with lower costs, faster turnaround times, less human errors. RPA creates a WIN – WIN – WIN scenario. If you want to learn more about RPA feel free to contact us. We offer FREE no-obligation consultation about RPA and other automation technologies. --- ## UX & A Poem From 1902 URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/ux-a-poem-from-1902/ Type: post Modified: 2024-07-05 Who would have thought that a poem from 1902 could contain the recipe for good UX (User Experience). It sounds impossible but this is just what Rudyard Kipling did in his 1902 story called “The Elephant’s Child” from the story book “Just So Stories”. Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist. He was born in India, which inspired much of his work. “Just So Stories” – one of the books he is best know for, contains bedtime stories. One of these bedtime stories “The Elephant’s Child” is about how elephants got their trunk and part of it reads … I Keep six honest serving-men: (They taught me all I knew) Their names are What and Where and When And How and Why and Who. This poem lists a lot of the key questions any UX project should start by answering. It is very common to hear and read of esoteric ways of making sure the end user’s needs are met. Instead Kipling, in a single line in a poem managed to list down the 6 key questions to ask ourselves. What What is our strategy? What is our value proposition? What triggers the end user? What does the end user really need? What should we design? What is the big picture vision? What are the project’s S.M.A.R.T goals? Where Where will the end user consume the product/service? When When does it need to be ready by? When does the end user need it? How How do we validate the business model? How do we make it intuitive for the user? Why Why are we doing it this way? Who Who are the main personas? Who are our competitors? Here is Kipling’s poem in full. I Keep six honest serving-men:    (They taught me all I knew)Their names are What and Where and When    And How and Why and Who.I send them over land and sea,    I send them east and west;But after they have worked for me,    I give them all a rest. I let them rest from nine till five.    For I am busy then,As well as breakfast, lunch, and tea,    For they are hungry men:But different folk have different views:    I know a person small–She keeps ten million serving-men,    Who get no rest at all!She sends ’em abroad on her own affairs,    From the second she opens her eyes–One million Hows, two million Wheres,    And seven million Whys! If you’re about to embark on a new a project – start first by answering the questions to “What and Where and When And How and Why and Who”. --- ## How We Make Design Thinking, Lean and Agile Work Together URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/how-we-make-design-thinking-lean-and-agile-work-together/ Type: post Modified: 2024-07-05 Identify the problem using Design Thinking – value discoveryBuild a POC – the Lean way – value validationKeep up with the market changes – the Agile way – value delivery We all want our businesses to generate and execute new ideas, new revenue streams, to keep up with the customer demands, to adapt to the fast changing markets around us. We all face problems/challenges. But we frequently get lost in how to solve them. We find ourselves without a map to guide us through this process. Many books and articles have been written about business agility and the problem solving skills required to respond to the ever-changing markets. Three of the most popular problem solving methodologies are Design Thinking, Lean and Agile. In this article we take a look at how you can use them together to make user-centricity and adaptability the cornerstones of your organisation’s success. The Common Steps Of Any Problem Solving Process Whatever the problem you have at hand – whatever the methodology you choose, problem solving always goes through the same steps. In their book called Living with Technology, published back in 1993 M. Hacker and B. Barden describe these steps, summarised in the adjacent image.  Design Thinking, Lean and Agile all revolve around helping you have structure and clarity around the 6 steps bellow. And they are not alone in doing this. There are other methodologies, like SCRUM, which you can look at. However in this article we’ll look into how you can make these three methodologies work together for your benefit and that of the end user. Understand the problem. Identify a solution to the problem. Build a Proof-Of-Concept (POC) to test the solution Test the POC, gather the results Refine the POC based on the results  Repeat steps 1 to 5 until you either (a) solve the problem(b) find out that the POC is not leading to a solution What Does Each Methodology Bring To The Table? Design Thinking, Lean and Agile all help you find clarity when facing a problem and in efficiently finding a proper solution that gives the desired results. Each of them is focuses on tackling this process in a different way. Let’s first take a brief individual look at each one of the three methodologies before looking at how they can work together. Design Thinking  Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO defines Design Thinking as a human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer’s toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success. Design Thinking was invented by designers to solve common design problems, so they chose design methods as their tools of choice.  Design Thinking focuses on value discovery. That is, deciphering what people actually want. It can help you in the process of building UI mockup and sketches. Design Thinking is an iterative process where people try and understand the user’s pain, redefine problems, challenge assumptions in order to come up with new solutions and strategies. This is a human-centric approach that integrates the needs of the people, the requirements to achieve the overall objectives, and the multiple possibilities of technologies.  Lean (Startup)  Lean was invented by entrepreneurs to solve risky business problems. Lean focuses on value validation. That is, determining if there is a market for your idea i.e rapidly discovering if a proposed solution is viable through shorter product development cycles. This is achieved by adopting a combination of iterative product releases, business-hypothesis driven experimentation, and validated learning. Startups (and even established companies) often fail due to market-match failure, because they make products/services no one wants or needs. Lean provides an approach to get the desired product delivered to the customer. Agile  Agile knows its origin in software development. Agile was invented by software engineers to solve typical engineering problems. Because of this it favours building working software.  It focuses on value delivery. That is, building a working product that customers can use and gain benefit from immediately. It deals with high-value features instead of focusing on a set of features. When things are highly uncertain, agile can build a solution that can adapt to change quickly and is thus dynamic. It is all about producing working results, scaling, and evolving solutions following each iteration. Agile thrives on the ability to adapt gracefully to changing needs. The Garner Diagram Combining The Three If there is one company and one diagram that managed to capture the essence of having Design Thinking, Lean and Agile work together it is definitely Gartner. The diagram you can see on top starts by Design Thinking on the left, moved into Lean in the middle and finishes with Agile on the right. This creates a flow ideation on the left to execution and delivery on the right. It creates a continuous cyclical flux between Abstract and Concrete as well as between Problem and Solution. Three Methodologies – One Flow As Andriy Strogan very well explained by in his article on Medium named “Don’t Choose Between Design Thinking, Lean Startup, and Agile When Focusing on Customer Value”, each of the three methodologies bring a different value to the table. The following diagram from the article clearly explains this value. Identify the problem using Design Thinking – value discovery The first step towards getting a unified view of the three approaches is to acknowledge that every product that you build is a solution to one or more problems. There would be no product without a problem. You can use Design Thinking as the underlying framework to empathise or explore the problem contextually, define or identify the loopholes that are causing the problem and ideate or streamline your understanding into an actionable problem statement. This will inevitably bring out the possibility of specific solutions to resolve the problem.  Build a POC – the Lean way – value validation Now that the problem is identified and defined, you take the first step in solving it – using the Lean approach to quickly and cheaply create a Prototype or Proof-Of-Concept of the product/service to test whether the end users sees it as fitting solution or not. The Lean approach will help you navigate through the clutter of uncertainty while you taking to market a solutions that work. As you iterate you learn to build a better solution, to measure success and to pivot where necessary. Keep up with the market changes – the Agile way – value delivery Your work is not over the minute your take the product/service to market, actually this is when the fun starts. Whether you want it or not the market will keep changing fast. To keep up with the market and the end user needs you can adapt the Agile way – by continuously issuing improved versions of the product/service to match the market needs. It Is Not A Choice Of One From The Three Many who look at Design Thinking, Lean and Agile “from the outside” think that one must choose one of the three. And then focus all the efforts around this decision – getting the organisation to embrace the one chosen. This is NOT the case. The worst advice we could give you is that of telling you that one of the three is the holy grail that will solve all the problems. By The Book Will Not Work Many others have the impression that adopting one or all from Design Thinking, Lean and Agile means getting an innovation consultant, or hiring an experienced practitioner and then follow the methodology by the letter – whatever the book says. It is NOT the case. Adopting Design Thinking, Lean and Agile depends more on the skills and experience your have around you, the particular situation at hand and what you are planning to achieve. It is good to know in detail what the books says but ultimately you must choose what works for you and your business. Mix-and-match – trial and error – until you find the right mix of tools and, processes methods that work for your and your teams. It is already risky to solve the problem at hand – you should not increase that risk by forcing the adoption of new took by the book, and without having the skills and experience available. Start Small Adopting Design Thinking, Lean and Agile should not be a big project – so big that you cannot have a taste of the benefits before many years pass. Start small, apply part of a methodology to an upcoming small project and get an immediate feel of the benefits. Then sharpen the adoption process, and do it again on a bigger project. Keep iterating this until the toolbox that Design Thinking, Lean and Agile provide become so day-to-day in your organisation, that your staff starts using them seamlessly – without an incentives, external help or training.  A Culture Of Continuous Innovation – A Winning Formula Design Thinking, Lean and Agile provide you with a map – with a process to follow – so that you can focus on the iterations towards the solution your customers need. End users would be given the opportunity to get a feel of the end product/service early on. They feel included and thus give early and timely feedback. This will foster a culture of continuous innovation. Irrespective of the size of your business, your company culture would be characterised by a startup mindset. Once your team learns to improve with each iteration results will start showing. You would have sown the seeds of an organisations culture that sees things from the customer’s perspective. Success follows. #designthinking #agile #lean #digitaltransformation #creativity #ai #ux #ui #malta --- ## 17 Ways AI Can Enhance Customer Experience (CX) in Real-Time URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/17-ways-ai-can-enhance-customer-experience-cx-in-real-time/ Type: post Modified: 2024-07-05 Key Points Build a 360 degree view of the customer A Salesforce study shows that the current biggest challenge for marketeers is real-time customer engagement It is important to avoid the common pitfalls – learn from the mistakes of others. Recent studies confirm that organisations that invested in real time AI see a major uplift in revenue . Building A 360 Degree View Of The Customer “Know thy customer” should be the first commandment of every business. Customers aren’t all one and the same, they’re one of a kind. Organisations have been increasingly evolving into customer centric entities to live up to this commandment. They have all been focusing on understanding the conversion path, predicting customer behaviours and then crafting the perfect customer experience across all the customer touchpoint. A truly omichannel effort that engages the customer and aims to build a relationship with him/her on every channel – being it phone, email, app, social media or physically at a store. Nowadays, customers have great expectation. They expect a seamless experience and immediate personalised attention. They expect businesses to listen to them. Till a few years ago, a response time of a few days was acceptable. Not anymore. We have entered the “age of now” where everything has to happen in real-time. Today’s consumer expects hyper personalized offers, timely recommendations and relevant content. Businesses are expected to deliver a rich customer experience that scales in real-time throughout the entire customer journey. To help us come with this real-time reality we have the luxury of collecting and storing large amount of data of what is happening in and around our businesses. Yet most businesses still have not made the jump to use AI efficiently and effectively to enhance the customer experience and to be able to go the extra mile. What are “Customer Experience” (CX) and “Customer Engagement”? Before we delve deeper – let’s take a look at what do we mean by Customer Experience and Customer Engagement. CX is not about the moment the customer buys your product or service. It begins the moment the prospective customer sees your brand name for the first time – and it continues through the customer journey. Customer Engagement is much more than Customer Service. It is ongoing. It is about fostering all those connections that you have in between customer visits. When you know your customer you work at creating that emotional connection between the customer and your brand, a connection that leads the customer to be loyal to your brand. Loyal customers not only generate business themselves but more importantly refer new business. The above is a Customer Engagement Model from cxLoyalty’s, depicting the drivers to customer engagement. Building a complete 360 degree view of the customer : before you can take action to enhance the customer experience you first need a 360 degree view of the customer. It is very common to have data sitting in silos all over the organisation – from sales, to marketing, to product, to customer support. These silos need end. You need to build a data warehouse – where all the relevant customer data is in one place – a complete “single version of the truth”. Then you need to share information across business units – so that everyone, and every system works towards a consistent customer experience. Engaging Customers In Real Time Collecting, storing, and analysing customer data in real-time is not a simple task. For many data sources data may not all be available in real time. According to a recent study by SAS (sas.com), 25% of businesses in the UK are adjusting their marketing communications daily based on customer data they have collected while only 16% of UK businesses adjust their marketing communication in real-time based on customer behavior and data collection. The State of Marketing Report for 2020 by Salesforce shows that engaging customers in real time is the number one challenge for marketers. Nearly 7,000 marketers from around the world took part in this survey, with 84% of them reporting using it some sort of AI, up from 29% in 2018. 17 Examples Of AI In CX Here are 17 practical examples of using AI to enhance customer experience. Some examples target directly towards the customer. Other examples help the staff/employees to provide a better customer experience. Behavioural Segmentation : splitting customers into clusters and sending personalised messages to each segment. Identifying customers that make you money, and those that cost you money. Recommendation Engine : Predicting the next product/service the customer is gong to buy and creating an experience around that Lead Prioritisation : identifying (predicting) your top prospective customers and focusing on closing them before any other lead Churn Prediction : Predicting when a customer is about to leave – the “customer lifetime” – and sending him personalised communication that increases his/her lifetime. One you have the lifetime of the client, you can calculate a more important KPI – the customer lifetime value (LTV). Unearthing Valuable Insights And Trigerring Real-Time Alerts : Identifying the abnormal behaviour, patterns, trends and correlations in the customer data that are not identifyable to a human – and reacting to it immediately. (AI models are very good at recognising abnormal patterns). Fraud management is a great example of this. Time Series Forecasting / Resource Planning : to allocate resources and budgets according to future predictions by predicting the amount of resources your will need in the hours, days, weeks, months, years to come Chatbots through Natural Language Processing : AI & NLP enable chatbots with the right technology and data knowledge to respond accurately and consistently. Speech Recognition & speech-to-text for incoming calls including calls in multiple languages. Visualistion / Dashboarding : proving the c-suite and other key decision makers with the actionable insights in well presented dashboards Sentiment Analysis : determining the mood of your customers by text mining the customer support tickets, customer feedback, reviews and the twitter/facebook feed. Timing : predict the best time to reach your customers for each channel. Simulation : running simulation of what could happen if a certain variable/scenario changes. Hyper-Personalised Promotions via detailed customer personas/profiles – the most popular of which are automated emails that match the exact customer profile. Self-service Support : studies show that customers are increasingly preferring self-service done right – through fast, frictionless and personalisation, rather than traditional support channels like phone calls. Support Your Customer-Facing Employees : giving the AI enhanced tools to customer facing staff to impress the customer IOT devices – intelligence devices at the edge (where the “action” is happening” and in stores – collecting data and taking decision on the spot Campaign automation & Automated A/B testing : using AI to take decisions that can put your marketing tools on auto-pilot Measuring Customer Engagement : For each example above a key step to success is to measure the levels of customer engagement : you cannot improve what you cannot measure. The simplest best KPI is the Net Promoter Score, however you can also look at other KPIs like the time the business is taking to respond in a personliased way and/or the time time it takes to actually solve the issue once AI is injected in the process. Challenges & Pitfalls With Real-Time Machine Learning Models Using AI to enhance the customer experience brings both incredible opportunities and hefty challenges. While a hyper-personalised customer experience might sound like the holy grail of marketing it does come with its own set of challenges and achieving ROI from investing in real-time AI assigned customer profiling requires you to know and to tackle these challenges. Take a look at the Team Data Science Process (TDSP) – an agile, iterative data science methodology. A set of challenges crop up as soon as you decide to run with such a methodology in real time. 1. Continuous Retraining Of Machine Learning Models Retraining Machine Learning models can be a challenge on its own. Take everything to “real time” and the challenge is exponentially bigger. The following few steps – that are used in adopting AI models, need to be repeated as often as possible to keep to the real-time requirement.       Getting data scientists to select/create/maintain the machine learning models. Scaling up and collecting data from as many data points as possible across the entire customer journey. Cleaning of the data and preparing it for analysis. Doing real-time analysis of a large amount of data. Training machine learning models to precisely profile each customer. Feeding the results from the machine learning models into the marketing and other key systems. Retraining the machine learning models with the latest data. Repeating steps 2 to 6. 2. Bringing IT & Marketing To Work In Harmony : The biggest challenge for AI to enhance the customer experience might not be technology related. But the way IT teams and marketing teams co-ordinate and share data. 3. Too Many Data Sources : we are drowing in data and it is not that simple to bring it all together. In the State of Marketing Report for 2020 marketers say they have a median of 12 data sources to deal with. 4. AI Is Not The Holy Grail : It is sometimes a challenge to convince decision makers not to think of AI as the “solve it all”. AI itself is not going to craft a great customer experience. It is not going to refine or scale to great customer experience. AI is an enabler. 5. Hidden Bias : AI models can build biased outputs. It is usually not simple to eliminate this bias hidden in the AI models that are driving your customer engagement. Investing In Real-Time AI Pays Off Despite the challenges above and the investment required, recent studies confirm that organisations that invested in real time AI see a major uplift in revenue. By reacting in real-time you can meet customer demands much better – taking the customer experience to the next level. Delivering a superior customer experience by achieving relevancy at every touchpoint based on an understanding of each individual customer pays off. Do you want to learn more on how to you can apply AI, machine learning and data science to your business? Get in touch for a free consultation. We will guide you step by step, to reap the benefits while avoiding the pitfalls. --- ## Covid-19 Is Not A Time To Reinvent The Wheel URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/covid-19-is-not-a-time-to-reinvent-the-wheel/ Type: post Modified: 2024-07-05 Businesses face challenges all the time. Business leaders face unknowns all the time. Going fast without losing control is the name of their game. Covid-19 has taken this to a new level. We have BIGGER unknowns. And LESS time to adapt to them. Businesses were forced to shut down. The pandemic forced their customers and clients to stay inside. There are no dates for a vaccine and there are no dates when airports around the world will open up again. And even when the vaccine is here and airports are open again – it will NOT be business a usual. We need to adapt to the “New Normal”. It sounds bad. And it IS bad, however, such crisis is not a time to reinvent the wheel. The fact that we have bigger unknowns and less time does NOT mean we should abandon all that we have learned so far in crisis management. Out there there are enough experts, enough technology, and enough literature on how to deal with a crisis, how to pivot a business model, how to apply design thinking, lean startup and agile methodologies to a challenge. We just need to be more diligent in applying what we already have. Get our teams to use their creativity. Pivot the way we use technology towards the big challenges ahead. Stop playing with design sprints, lean canvas, customer journey maps, empathy maps, prototyping and truly use them to empower our staff to be intrapreneurs. Often we used to hear the sentence “we need to unleash the power of innovation” … well there has never been a better time to do so. We used to hear “innovation practitioners should be at the heart of solving challenges”… there has never been a better time for all the innovation practitioners out there to rise to the challenge. Reality is harsh in certain circles – yet we need to be strong, we need to be smart, we need to collaborate, we need to co-create. Together we can get out of this – without reinventing the wheel. ??? --- ## Covid-19 – Opportunity Or Threat? URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/covid-19-opportunity-or-threat/ Type: post Modified: 2024-07-05 The world is not the same anymore. We cannot travel. We cannot go out most of the time. The vaccine is far away. All this and more is changing the business landscape as we know it. Any change, including this pandemic, might be an opportunity – and it might be a threat. It might be both. What is a sure thing is that now is not a time to “wait-and-see” what happens next. It’s time to adapt to what we are referring to as the “New Normal”. We all need to rethink our ways of operating. There will be no going “back to normal”. It is time to act and to seamlessly automate processes that connect your website, mailing lists, chatbots, CRM, sales funnels, cloud, project management system, HR system, document management system, accounting system, online learning platform, databases and more. You might need to pivot your business. We are all having to tweak our business models and our processes to adapt. Hopefully your situation is not as bad as Primark. From GBP 650,000,000 in sales a month to zero because they did not have an online store. Whatever your situation is we can help. We can help you turn this pandemic into an opportunity. An opportunity to fast track your Digital Transformation and remain relevant to your market and your clients. Photo : marketoonist --- ## LinkedIn Lists Blockchain As Top Skill in 2020 URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/linkedin-lists-blockchain-as-top-skill-in-2020/ Type: post Modified: 2024-07-05 Will Blockchain be the most in-demand hard skill in 2020? A LinkedIn study lists it at the top, together with Creativity as the top soft skill. AI lost two places on the list. We’re big fans of blockchain, this study does not 100% reflect our current sales pipeline. We see that demand for AI skills are actually still increasing heavily. Thus AI skills should probably feature higher than the 4th place. The new study lists hard skills companies need most in 2020 in order of importance as follows: Blockchain Cloud Computing Analytical Reasoning Artificial Intelligence UX Design Business Analytics Affiliate Marketing Sales Scientific Computing Video Production On the other hand the soft skills companies need most in 2020 are Creativity Persuasion Collaboration Adaptability Emotional Intelligence Except for Emotional Intelligence, the top four places in the soft skills ranking were unchanged from 2019. As an innovation and technology firm it is great to see that we can help our clients with both Blockchain & Creativity – the top skills for 2020, and also many of the other skills. If you require any of such skills do get in touch and we’re be very happy to help you. #skills #blockchain #malta #creativity #softskills #hardskills #ai #cloudcomputing --- ## Our Top 10 Picks From CES 2020 URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/our-top-10-picks-from-ces-2020/ Type: post Modified: 2024-07-05 CES 2020, the world’s biggest consumer electronics show, is now behind us. The team at Smart Studios is always eager to hunt for the latest trends and products. We are always on the lookout. Here we bring you our top 10 picks. This year’s show in Las Vegas brought with it so some interesting ideas – maybe even more than previous years, however, as with all CES editions, most of the products are concepts and will not be on the market any time soon. Here they are…. our top 10. 1. Hyundai’s new Uber air taxi concept 2. Samsung Ballie – a yellow ball that moves around the house managing smart home gadgets 3. 8K TVs : LG’s 88-inch 8K OLED TV and Samsung’s 8K Q950 4. Car Concepts : Sony Vision S electric car and the Mercedes-Benz Vision AVTR 5. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold foldable laptop 6. Segway S-Pod – armchair-like vehicle for seated riding 7. Hydraloop for reusing water at home 8. Withings ScanWatch – a hybrid smartwatch that alert users of potential Afib events and detect sleep apnea. 9. Samsung Sero, a 43-inch 4K rotating TV that can switch from landscape to a portrait so that you watch you vertical TikTok videos 10. Insta360 modular action camera We stayed away from listing smartphones and robots as there were too many of them to mention, although the Omron ping pong robot and the Samsung Chef bot are still worth checking out.  Everything is of course connected to Alexa. AiOT (AI + IOT) is booming. Do you agree with our top 10 picks. If you saw some other interesting ideas that we could use to update the list do get in touch. --- ## Technology Alone Will Not Crack Your Innovation Challenges URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/technology-alone-will-not-crack-your-innovation-challenges/ Type: post Modified: 2024-07-05 Technology is great. With it we can automate, reduce costs, create new business models, generate more revenue, track our customer behavior and more. And all this is great for innovating our companies, our organisations, our teams and ourselves. All such entities have a big challenge innovating. They are constantly facing challenges from the new market shift, from new laws, from new customer expectations. Yet around us we hear a lot of talk about innovation through technology and not enough talk on the human aspect of innovating. To solve a problem / challenge in front of you you need to tackle both the TECHNOLOGY ASPECT + HUMAN ASPECT. You need to have clarity. You and your team need to have the right mindset to innovate. That is why the human aspect is so important. There are a lot of methods and innovation methodologies out there that can give you this clarity about the human aspect. – Design Sprints– Customer Journey Mapping– Empathy Maps– Business Canvas – Lean Canvas– Prototypingand many more. At this is what we bring to the table at Smart Studios, a perfect mix of innovation and technology skills. Let’s future-proof your businesses with the the right mix of inspiration from technology and human thinking. --- ## Corporate Innovation At Startup Speed URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/corporate-innovation-at-startup-speed/ Type: post Modified: 2024-07-05 Innovation is a must for every company. But not every opportunity can be pursued, and wrong choices can be costly, they may result in lost market share, or in sunk R&D investments – or worse. What if more innovation projects could be pursued without adding more resources? What if the pace of innovation could be sped up without adding cost? Collaboration with startup companies facilitate just that: Such projects are fast, flexible, light on costs, with a “go get it” culture. Cooperation between established companies and startups is becoming more commonplace, and the first best practices emerge.In-house corporate innovation is often costly, slow, and in many cases only delivers incremental improvements. Startup companies on the other hand create products fast, at low cost, and with fewer negative consequences in case of failure. Teams can now be rapidly formed around promising or radical business ideas. As a result, an increasing number of innovations are created outside of the corporate environment, e.g. in cooperation with startups. However, startups often lack the required market access and know-how in order to become successful, as well as the experience, resources and financial means to develop their first solution into a full product portfolio. Interestingly, these two competences are precisely what established companies excel at! We should, therefore, connect more established companies with more startups.  As a result, the speed of corporate innovation will increase, more startups will succeed – and both will win by combining the best of both worlds. --- ## AI Best Practices – 10 Tips To Successful AI Projects URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/post-1/ Type: post Modified: 2024-06-05 We’re lucky to live in an era where we can supercharge our businesses with the power of AI. However, onboarding or building generative AI, chatbots, robots and other AI-based solutions brings a fresh set of challenges. Best practices are the best way to deal with such challenges. This article is a list of 10 best practices gathered through our own experience. Tips and tricks we collected during AI projects that we onboarded or built for our clients. While there may be other best practices these 10 specific ones were the keystone to ensuring that the core of all our AI project is solid and future-proof. So here we go… 1. Don’t Start With Coding. Talk To The End Users And Build A Clear Business Case.  An AI project does not start with getting an AI engineer to develop an AI model. The first step is to build a holistic plan focused on people rather than on coding. The holistic plan should also make sure the AI model is not built in a vacuum. The first step is to meet the end users and understand to full context of where the AI model is going to be deployed. This will ensure that you have full clarity of the business case you are catering for. The most vital element to keep in mind: focus on people, not on coding. 2. Don’t Let AI Jargon Get In The Way. AI is a vast subject with a lot of jargon. When words like neural networks, supervised/unsupervised learning become the main theme of a meeting some team members will get lost. If not properly tackled this can create major communication issues within the project team. There are two things you can do to ease this : Upskill your non-technical staff to understand the basics of AI. Get everyone on the team to understand what it building a “digital brain” means. Ban your AI engineers from using AI jargon during project meetings with non-technical staff. All AI concepts must be explained using simple words. 3. No Data, No Party. AI projects’ primary cause of failure is surprisingly data. You can think of data like the food or water to your body. Without it, an AI model cannot be trained. Nowadays businesses store a lot of data, but it is not the amount that matters, but how ready and how relevant the data is in relation to the model being built. Supervised AI models need labeled data. Unfortunately, it is a very common occurrence that a team identifies a good use case for an AI model but then cannot get hold of labeled training data. Synthetic data might be a possible solution but that brings with it a fresh set of challenges. 4. Team, Tools  & Budget : The Other Main Ingredients You’ll Need. Data is not the only ingredient an AI project needs. Team, tools and budget are the other three main ingredients. Team : Behind every successful AI project there is a team of people. The main team roles are shared between the domain expert that knows the ins and outs of the challenge the AI model is being applied to, and the head of the AI engineering team. Very often the team also requires one or more data engineers to handle the data flow, to clean and prepare the data and to manage and store the output of the AI model, and one or more ML Ops engineer to handle the operations around the model. There is more to an AI project than just onboarding a ready-made AI model or building it. Tools : The team implementing the AI project, not just those directly onboarding/building the AI model, needs to right tools and the right hardware. And by tools, we are not just referring to using ChatGPT! You might need a set of software tools : data labelling software (like LabelBox), IDEs (like Visual Studio), frameworks (like PyTorch), cloud resources (like Azure) , databases (like MongoDB), code versioning (like Bitbucket) and a set of hardware tools, mainly GPUs (like Nvidia GPUs) which can be either physical or in the available in the cloud. You might also need tools for security, compliance and scalability. Budget : Like all other projects, an AI project needs a budget. Depending on the level of risk that you see, it might be a good idea to bump up the contingency percentage of the project. If you usually allocate a 20% to 25% contingency, especially in your first AI project, be a bit more conservative and set the contingency higher, to say 30% to 35%. 5. Be Strategic On Whether To Build It Or Buy It. There are many ways to procure an AI model. You can build your own internal team of AI engineers. You can outsource the project to a company that is focused on implementing AI projects. Irrespective of who builds the “digital brain” it is important to have within the team one or more persons who can take an informed decision on what kind of AI model fits best into your business case. AI is a vast field. As a first step this person need to choose the type of AI model that fits the business case – whether to apply Supervised Learning (i.e. learning from examples), Unsupervised Learning (i.e. learning to identify common patterns), or Reinforcement Learning (i.e. self-learning based on ‘gamification’). 6. Accuracy Is Not 100% – Keep That In Mind. Unlike software systems built on conditional logic (if-then-else) and rule based systems the accuracy of an AI model is not 100% and will never be. It is relatively easy to get to say 75% accuracy, it is harder to get to 95% accuracy, and it is much much harder to get accuracies close to 99%. So keep this in mind all the time. You cannot deploy an AI model in a business critical use case assuming it can directly replace a manual system and get everything right, since the accuracy of the AI model is never 100%. The accuracy can vary a lot if the data fed to the AI model is not similar to the dataset it was trained on. 7. Be Aware Of Biases. Humans have biases. AI models have biases too. Biases present themselves not only in processing data about humans (for example an HR AI system sifting through Cvs for a managerial post, and because the data it was trained on has a bias for males in managerial positions it start giving preference to males when sifting through CVs!!!) but biases will always be there in all AI models processing all types of data. To reduce biases ensure that your training dataset is “clean” and as diverse as possible, fairly representing all the types of data. And regularly monitor, not just the accuracy of the AI model but also its results for all known biases. 8. Build Iteratively. It is almost impossible to build an AI model and to put it in use right first time. So plan your AI project in a way that you build a good enough AI model, connect it seamlessly to the other parts of your business and then be ready to continue to improve on the accuracy and bias-free version of the AI model. It is very common that new training data is made available well after the first versions of the AI model are built. This provides the opportunity to retrain the model and get better results. 9. Seamlessly Integrate Your AI Model Having an accurate unbiased AI model is great, however an AI model cannot live in a vacuum. We need to be able to reliably pass requests to it for processing and we need a way to reliably capture its replies. Thus we need to plan to seamlessly integrate the inputs and the outputs of the new AI model, via APIs as an example. You should also consider onboarding it into a continuous improvement framework, via CI/CD as an example .  Also like any other software system the AI model needs to be hosted in a secure, scalable setup. 10. Monitor & Maintain, Constantly. The fact that an AI model’s accuracy may change drastically depending the data input fed to it makes monitoring and maintenance an essential element of ant AI project. Imagine a self-driving car that is deployed on our roads. It might cater for say 99% of the scenarios, but there will be that 1% which was not covered in its training, and thus it might take the wrong decision.  Irrespective of whether your AI model is as mission-critical as a self-driving vehicle or not it will always have room for improvement. Thus 1. continuous monitoring of scenarios not catered for and 2. the mechanism to prompt the retraining of the model must be part and parcel of the AI project, not an afterthought. We hope these practical tips and tricks help you in adding AI to your business smoother, faster and better. If you have any questions, comments or know of more AI best practices we can add to the list do get in touch. --- ## AI That Replicates Human Vision – In 8 Steps URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/ai-that-replicates-human-vision-in-8-steps/ Type: post Modified: 2024-06-05 The process with which humans and animals use their eyes to see is fascinating. We can very quickly and accurately identify a multitude of items in our line of sight.  Nowadays with the availability of  better and cheaper hardware & cloud (see the GPUs section) lots of data computer vision algorithms that have evolved and matured over the last 40 years more AI engineers  we can have AI object detection models that are trained to quickly and accurately identify and locate objects in images and videos.  Businesses can use AI and train object detection models to “see” faces, animals, plants, trees, vehicles and buildings. Objects can be counted and tracked digitally with relative ease like never before and thus computer vision is being used in products and services to solve real business problems. The main uses machine learning object detection are in agriculture to recognise plants, trees,  in medicine to recognise diseases from scans in the automotive industry to recognise vehicle dents from hail in retail to automatically identify what buyers put in their basket in geospatial remote sensing from satellites and drones – to identify buildings, crops, vehicles from satellite photos and aerial drone video footage The lifecycle of building an AI object detection model is somewhat very different from that of building other AI models or software platforms. In this article we’ll take you through each of the steps required, while sharing with you the tips and tricks we have learned over the years.   The high level lifecycle is that of supplying thousands of images of the object your want your AI model to identity and eventually, after the AI model is trained on the annotated training data, the AI model starts identifying (with a certain level of accuracy – not 100%) the objects that you trained the image on. Here are the steps to build such a system. 1. Find The Right Team Of AI Engineers Let’s not beat around the bush. AI is a very vast subject. Machine Learning (ML) is a subset of it.  And deep learning is a subset of machine learning. While computer vision is one of the most popular uses of AI which uses some deep learning techniques – but could also use ML techniques which do not involve deep learning.   Most of the AI engineers have a good knowledge of data science and are well versed in programming languages such as Python and R. The languages have a huge set of readily available libraries for AI and data science.   However, as with other skills, not all AI engineers out there are equal – both in experience and in their focus. So before you start an AI project make sure you partner up with the right team – that has experience with what you want to achieve. Image Source : redhat.com 2. Decide What AI To Use The AI engineers will decide which object detection algorithm to use. This depends a lot on what the AI model is going to be used for.  There are various deep learning tasks one can choose from, each task gives a deeper more precise recognition of the objects in the image or video. What You NeedDeep Learning TaskWhat object is present in the image/video?ClassificationClassification + where is the object?Object DetectionObject detection + pixel level classificationSemantic SegmentationSemantic segmentation + classification of each instanceInstance Segmentation The algorithm to use might also determine the type of labelling you’ll need and the amount of labelled images you will need to train the model.  3. Decide The Target Accuracy No AI model will achieve 100% accuracy. However, given enough training data you can aim for a good accuracy. In very broad terms you can expect the following accuracy … Around 67% – Minimum – you have a start. Around 77% – Poor but ok – you can use it but you should improve it. Around 87% – First acceptable accuracy. You can use such a model in production.  Over 87% – Where you should target to be. 4. Do You Need To Build A Training Dataset? An AI model is a good a the data is trained on. Garbage in – garbage out applies here too. So having a good training dataset is probably the most critical aspect of the whole process. To have such dataset is it might not be required to procure and to label thousands of images. If you are lucky there might be publicly available datasets out there that you might use to train your AI model. The three most common large scale image datasets are COCO (Common Objects in Context), ImageNet, Google’s Open Images.  4.1 Labelling If you cannot use a readily available dataset you will have to resort to labelling. Labelling is a laborious task. It involves human labellings thousands of images – marking the objects that you want to model to recognise. It is an especial data preprocessing part of any  supervised learning AI project.  Labelling instructions. Before you ask labellers to start labelling make sure you’ve documented what they need to label and how. It is essential to prepare a document which lists down how to store the labelling results, how to tackle tricky / “edge cases” and to what level of detail should the labeller go to.  Bounding Boxes or Polygons Bounding boxes are rectangle that the labellels put around an object. When using polygons instead of bounding boxes the annotator specifies all the vertices of the polygon. In many cases bounding boxes are enough to arrives to the required accuracy of the AI model – however using polygons gives better results. Choosing between boxes and polygons depends a lot on your use case and on the accuracy that you are after. The downside of using polygons is the fact that the labelling exercise is slower. And many a times you do not have the luxury to invest a lot of time in labelling thousands of images. A well labelled database is the cornerstone of any AI platform.   Choosing A Labelling (Annotation) Tool There are many labelling tools available. Some are free, some are paid. Some are SAAS platform where the labelling is done through the browser and some where the labelling is done locally on the labellers machine. The most popular labelling tools are LabelMe, label-studio, LabelImg, labelbox, CVAT, VoTT, hasty, v7, make-sense, coco-annotator and Scale AI. If you want a simple free polygon labeller you can go for LabelME. If you want a simple free bounding box labeller you can go for LabelImg. One of the items to take care of is the output of your labelling tool. Most labelling tools output some kind of JSON file. But not all tools output the same format.  The most common formats are COCO JSON, Tensorflow TFRecord, Pascal VOC and YOLO Darknet TXT. AI-assisted labelling Apart from getting human labellers to manually label thousands of images you can also use AI to assist you in having a bigger training dataset.  Comparing Results From Annotators  Labelling is challenging. Firstly because human labellers are very prone to making mistakes. Secondly because even the most attentive of labellers do not label images exactly the same. Even if they have all the good intentions they could easily misclassify parts of the image in thousands of images giving rise to badly labelled. To minimise this risk it recommended to do two things Before you start make sure you have a user manual that clearly explains the classes to annotate and the process of annotation. And make sure that each annotator is trained on at least 100 images before he/she goes ahead and annotates thousands of images.  Compare results of different annotators. You can do this by sending a part of each batch of images to more than one labeler and then comparing the results on each of these specific images. If the labelling is not matching you’ll need to take action to solve these inconsistencies.  5. Building The AI Model There are two philosophies to choose from when it comes to deciding the object detection algorithm to use. Both use convolutional neural networks (CNNs) –  a type of supervised deep learning network. A two-stage approach – based on classification A single shot approach With the two-stage approach the first step is to select the interesting regions. Then these are classified using CNNs. The region-based CNN (RCNN) (Fast R-CNN, Faster R-CNN, and Mask R-CNN) are the most popular examples of this. These are slower than the single shot algorithms but perform better on small objects.  YOLO (You Only Look Once), SSD (Single Shot Detector) and RetinaNet on the other hand are examples of the single shot approach.  They are based on regression. The prediction of the classes is done in one run for the whole image. These algorithms are faster than the two-stage approach algorithms and thus are used more frequently in real-time object detection. However their accuracy is not as good as the two-stage algorithms on small objects. A set of Machine Learning (ML) Frameworks exist to make building an AI model faster and smoother. These frameworks have many of the most commonly used libraries in AI & data science. The most popular ML frameworks are Tensorflow (developed by Google)  PyTorch  (developed by Facebook) Keras 6. GPUs & The Processing Power You’ll Need AI models are trained and are run on GPUs … they are “special CPUs” – hardware that is more specifically adapted to the processing of graphical data.  There are few approaches for having GPU processing power Have a physical GPU that you one Hire a server with GPU (like hosting but with a GPU) Have access to GPUs in the cloud The most common go to options are Jupyter Notebooks (standalone on your machine) or in the cloud with Google Colab. Kaggle is also a popular hosted version.  All the major cloud providers offer ways of getting GPU processing power and environments for Jupyter Notebooks. You can have a look at Azure (Azure Machine Learning &  GPU optimised VMs) AWS (AWS Sagemaker) Google (Vertex AI Workbench) 7. Training The AI Model Once you finish your data labelling, have built the first version of your AI model, and have the necessary GPU processing power you can proceed to train the AI model. This involves supplying the training set to the AI model so that it learns.  To optimise the accuracy results of the algorithm, the AI engineers will need to do some tuning – referred to hyperparameter optimization. 8. Integrating The AI Model When the AI model is ready and trained, the project is not ready. You’ll need to integrate the output from the AI model into your product, your service, your database – wherever it is that the AI model was built for. This usually involves storing the output (what the AI model recognised on the input image) into a database – from where this result can be accessed by other systems and interfaces using the result.  Let’s Do It  Nowadays AI models are being used by businesses to provide real-life solutions. While some of the 8 steps above might seem daunting, building and appyling AI is very doable once you know the challenges you will have to face and have the right team to support you.  Smart Studios is hear to help you all the way – we can help you with the whole process of incorporating AI within your products and services.  If you would like to know more get in touch via the Contact form and together we will work with you through all the 8 steps mentioned above. --- ## Intelligent Document Processing with AI & RPA URL: https://www.myskeye.com/blog/intelligent-document-processing-with-ai-rpa/ Type: post Modified: 2024-06-05 Say Bye To Manually Going Through Hundreds Of Documents Every day employees in many organisations have to manually process thousands of incoming documents such as application forms. This is tedious and tiring job prone to human mistakes.  However there is a solution : a intelligent document processing system that uses AI and RPA (robotic process automation) to efficiently and reliably go through the documents. Nowadays such solutions have become financially feasible – and they reduce a lot of manual work – with employees shifted to do more useful work for the company rather than just spending the day sifting through documents.  Building An AI Model Despite the photo accompanying this blog post the “robots” we are speaking about here are not physical robots. They are computer applications that specifically replicate the intelligence human use when reviewing a document and extracting information from it.    Let’s explore a bit more about these solutions. The following few paragraphs will give you a brief insight into how such solutions work.  These systems require the “building” of an AI model. An AI model is like a digital brain that learns to do something – in this case recognising the contents of documents.   Training & Deploying The AI Model So the for the first step a AI model is trained on a large dataset of labeled documents. Based on the document content and its metadata the AI model learns to determine the type of the document and its contents. Based on the specific business case you are using the AI model for you can fine tune the model to learn specific things about the content of the document – such as retrieving the date on the document and the names of the persons/products listed. Once ready the AI model can be deployed and made to be accessible – possibly as an API – where you give it the document as an input and it gives you the type/content/metadata as output. Using RPA To Automate The Processes Around The AI Model  This is where an RPA setup can come in. An RPA system can be used to automatically do the following steps for you detect that a new document is present (for example a new email comes with an attachment, or a new file is present in a directory) send that document to the AI model’s API for processing receive the reply from the AI model’s API take the appropriate action based on the reply from the AI model (for example, storing the reply in a database, routing the document to a specific folder, send an email, trigger a workflow, etc. Intelligent Document Processing All this falls under what we refer to as “Intelligent Document Processing”. Here is the definition of IDP according to Deloitte (2022) :  “IDP automates the processing of data contained in documents ― understanding what the document is about, what information it contains, extracting that information, and sending it to the right place.”   Using the solution described above AI & RPA can help an organisation process its documents promptly and accurately – removing mundane, repetitive, manual-heavy tasks – thus proving a faster, cheaper, better service. ---