DAWL
“Dawl” is the Maltese word for light. For us, light has a dual meaning: it is the physical medium of vision, enabling computer vision, aerial capture, geospatial analysis and 3D scanning; and it is clarity and discernment, enabling transparency in information ecosystems, critical analysis of media content and public understanding of AI systems.
Mission
We develop applied artificial intelligence systems that tackle real-world challenges in two domains:
- Environment: computer vision, machine learning and aerial robotics applied to environmental sustainability and public service operations.
- Information: AI methods for media transparency, representational analysis and public AI literacy.
We are research-led, strongly applied in orientation, and rooted in Malta, working closely with national institutions and industry to validate technology in operational settings and achieve real-world impact.
Pillars
Our work is organised into two pillars that map directly onto our domains:
- Environment pillar – Projects applying AI and computer vision to environmental sustainability and public service operations, including drone-based litter detection and collection, automated aerial 3D capture, AI-supported geospatial analysis and optimisation of urban cleansing and maintenance operations.
- Information pillar – Projects applying AI to media transparency, representational analysis and public AI literacy.
- Media Analysis strand: AI methods for analysing news and media content (e.g. TMMU, DIMAS, AIRAS, NBxAI).
- Literacy strand: Collaboration with the MDIA to deliver Malta’s National AI Literacy Programme, AI G魔al Kul魔add. We also develop interactive tools that aim to improve AI literacy.
Research Themes
We are known for research and development in:
- Computer vision and geospatial AI
- Natural language processing and explainable AI for media
- Drone-based aerial capture and robotics for environmental operations
- AI-driven media bias and representation analysis
- AI literacy, science communication and public engagement in AI.
High-Level Capabilities
Across projects, we build and deploy:
- End-to-end AI pipelines combining CV, NLP, drones and recommender systems.
- Operational tools for government and public-sector partners (cleansing operations, planning, media regulation).
- AI-driven platforms for media transparency, bias detection, sentiment analysis and conversational news exploration.
- National-scale AI literacy programming and content for diverse audiences.
- TRL progression from lab prototypes to validated systems in real environments.
