Building an AI Ferry Agent with Mastra

We've been working with Mastra agents to build an AI-powered assistant for the Arranmore Ferry platform - coming soon to beta.

We've been exploring AI agents over the past few months, and we're excited to share what we've been building with Mastra - a framework for building AI agents that can actually get things done.

What is Mastra?

Mastra is an open-source TypeScript framework for building AI agents. Unlike simple chatbots that can only answer questions, Mastra agents can take actions, call APIs, and integrate with real systems. This makes them perfect for building assistants that actually help users complete tasks.

The Ferry Agent

We've built a dedicated ferry agent that integrates directly with the Arranmore Ferry platform. The agent can help passengers with common queries and tasks:

Timetable queries - Ask about today's sailings, tomorrow's schedule, or specific crossing times
Real-time updates - Get the latest information on any schedule changes or extra ferries
Booking assistance - Help with understanding availability and capacity
Weather context - The agent understands how weather impacts ferry operations

The agent speaks naturally and understands the context of island ferry travel. Ask it "when's the last boat back?" and it knows you mean back to the mainland.

Self-Hosted Infrastructure with Gemini

The agent infrastructure is self-hosted, with Google's Gemini powering the AI under the hood. This setup gives us:

Low latency - Direct integration with our ferry systems means faster responses
Full control - We can fine-tune the agent's behaviour and responses

The agent connects directly to the same backend that powers the mobile apps, website, and admin dashboard. This means it always has access to the most up-to-date information.

Coming to Beta

We're currently testing the ferry agent internally and with a small group of users. The beta will be opening up shortly, and we plan to integrate it directly into the Arranmore Ferry app.

If you're interested in being part of the beta, keep an eye on the app for updates or follow us on Twitter for announcements.

What's Next

This is just the beginning of what we're building with Mastra. The framework's flexibility means we can extend the agent with new capabilities over time - from handling more complex booking scenarios to proactive notifications about relevant sailings.

We're also exploring how this technology could benefit our other ferry platforms and island services.

Stay tuned for more updates as we roll out the beta!

Disclaimer: This post was generated with Claude Code (with some prompting and oversight from Mat), pushed to git and published from a phone via a proxy server, exciting times ahead!