aisstreamR is an R package that provides a simple and reliable way to connect to the AISStream WebSocket API. It allows users to stream real-time maritime data, including vessel positions, ship names, and other critical information, directly into their R environment. This data can be used for research, data analysis, or real-time monitoring of maritime traffic within a specified geographic area.
The package handles WebSocket connections, subscribes to data streams based on user-defined bounding boxes, and decodes the incoming AIS messages into a user-friendly format. It also includes an option to automatically save the received data to a CSV file.
NOTE: AISStream.io does not have great coverage for South African waters, therefore I stopped developing this package. Works great for North American, European and Mediteranean areas though. Sorry nê.
1. Obtain and API key from https://aisstream.io/apikeys
Use the connect_ais_stream() function to start receiving real-time data. You'll need to provide your API key and the coordinates for the bounding box you want to monitor. The connect_ais_stream() function will open a persistent WebSocket connection. As long as your R session is running, messages will be received and processed automatically. Each message will be printed to your console in a clean format and, if you've specified a directory, saved to a CSV file.
To close the connection and stop receiving data, you can use the close_ais_stream() function.
connect_ais_stream(): Establishes a WebSocket connection and begins streaming data.
close_ais_stream(): Closes the active WebSocket connection.
decode_ais_hex(): Decodes raw hexadecimal AIS messages into a structured R object (used internally by connect_ais_stream).
# installation
devtools::install_github("PhilipFaure/aisstreamR")
# load package
library(aisstreamR)
# add API key
api_key <- "YOUR_API_KEY"
# provide bounding box coordinates
bbox <- list(
list(
list(-33.90081, 18.39103),
list(-33.82374, 18.47033)
)
)
# open connection and stream AIS messages
ws <- connect_ais_stream(api_key, bbox)
# close connection
close_ais_stream()