Updated 21.06.16, 13:51: Headline updated to remove references to I Sea. Following reports the I Sea Project app is a hoax, it has been pulled from the Apple store. Moas issued the following statement to WIRED: "As a global NGO that rescues people at sea, we are approached by countless number of companies and innovators who would like to contribute to our cause."
"Grey for Good is a well-intentioned pro bono arm of a globally known ad agency. When they approached Moas with the idea of an app that could crowdsource the ability to identify vessels in distress we provided input based on their real-world experience. Among that advice was the need for real-time input to save lives."
"We were dismayed to discover that real-time images were not being used. We have since discontinued our relationship with Grey for Good and spoken candidly about our disappointment to the media."
The original copy from WIRED's article on the I Sea app has been preserved below
A charity that's been saving refugees in trouble at sea has launched an app to monitor boats in distress.
The I Sea Project lets anyone with a smartphone access satellite image of a specific “plot” of ocean and check it for migrants who may be in trouble. It is a collaboration between Malta—based charity Migrant Offshore Aid Station (Moas) and Grey for Good, the philanthropic arm of design firm Grey Group.
“The app uses an algorithm that divides the satellite images of the sea into thousands of smaller plots," explains Low Jun Jek, executive creative director at Grey. "Each of these plots is then sent or assigned to different users so they can view the plot through the app. The user will receive a notification on their phone that will prompt them to check their plot - a simple task that will take no more than one minute at most.
Anyone who spots what looks like a migrant boat can flag the patch of sea to alert authorities and Moas. The image will then be analysed and, if necessary, a rescue mission could be launched. “Every individual plot of sea is embedded with accompanying location data – a set of coordinates unique to the plot,” says Low.
Moas currently runs operations in the Mediterranean and previously worked in both the Aegean and Andaman. It has rescued more than 1,800 men, women and children on the crossing between Turkey and Greece alone since launching its mission in the Aegean Sea last December.
Just days ago, Moas launched its third season of rescues in the Mediterranean with the 40-metre ship M.Y. Phoenix and the 52-metre Responde, which work alongside two S-100 Schiebel Camcopters. These drones can stay in the air for six hours and cover 97 nautical miles in that time, but the Moas team faces the near impossible task to constantly monitor 2.5 million km² of sea.
The Grey team wanted to find a practical solution to this gargantuan task. Low explains that it made sense to “crowdsource the monitoring of the vast seas through satellite images and the millions of smartphone users around the world.”
Low and his team contacted MOAS and worked to refine the idea. “Both sides brought different expertise to the table and it was a great coming together of the teams involved," he explains. "All aiming for the same goal of saving lives.”
The I Sea Project app has now launched and is available for iOS with an Android version currently in the works. During two months of development it was tested by a small number of invited users who were given access to satellite images of selected routes within the Mediterranean. According to the International Organisation for Migration, in March this year migration through the central Mediterranean was up 300 per cent year-on-year. During this time the route overtook the Aegean as the Mediterranean’s busiest migrant crossing.
The app is currently reliant on access to satellite images from a select group of partners, and there is a cost in taking and processing them, admits Low. But he the app will “showcase the power of the idea” and perhaps drum up more financial support.
The app will also provide data to Moas that can be used to improve its operations. “The app could extend Moas’s range of vision considerably, thus improving situation awareness and improving reach,“ says Ian Ruggier, the charity’s head of operations.
“Improved situation awareness will enhance the decision making process and contribute towards improved response times. Those involved in [synthetic aperture radar] operations will be able to benefit and deliver greater effect. MOAS and our global network and our partners will be able to get migrants quicker.“
Moas sent its first boat out to rescue migrants in 2014, long before the world’s media started reporting on the rising numbers of people attempting the crossings. During that time, the charity says it has rescued more than 14,000 people. The data it gleans from the app will be shared to help other organisations save lives, explains Ruggier.
“If this app is what we are hoping it will be, it will be part of a growing wave of ideas that connect concerned people to those in distress, regardless of place or language. We would expect a great response.”
Updated 14.06.16, 09:55: Moas only operates in the Mediterranean, although it previously also worked in the Aegean and Andaman. The charity sent out its first boat in 2014, not 2013.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
