Israel Ports Company Pilots AI for Virtual Seabed Drilling
Israel Ports Company is launching a pilot program in Ashdod to test an innovative AI-powered technology designed to replace expensive and time-consuming physical trial drilling for marine infrastructure projects. The system, developed by the startup Deep Signal, uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze sonar and geophysical data, creating a detailed subsurface map without the need for actual drilling.
This "virtual drilling" aims to significantly reduce the costs, timelines, and environmental impact associated with constructing piers, breakwaters, and other underwater structures. Traditionally, these projects require numerous physical drills to understand soil composition and strength, a process that is complex, costly, and environmentally damaging.
The pilot, involving an investment of approximately 900,000 shekels, will train AI models on existing data from areas where physical drilling has already occurred. The system's predictions will then be compared against actual drilling results to validate its accuracy and reliability.
"If the technology proves itself, it will allow us to save time and resources, reduce the environmental impact of projects, and make planning processes more efficient and accurate," stated Hezi Halalvia, Chairman of Israel Ports Company. Deep Signal CEO Dr. Uri Kushnir added that the startup was founded to address the bottleneck in marine infrastructure development caused by the costly and environmentally harmful process of soil investigation.
Beyond marine construction, the technology has potential future applications in oil and gas exploration, improving subsurface structure prediction and reducing exploratory drilling. Israel Ports Company plans to invest around 8 million shekels in marine and port-focused startups, providing them with port infrastructure and research facilities for real-world testing. The company views this pilot as internationally groundbreaking, leveraging Israel's strengths in innovation and AI for marine infrastructure.
