Periodic Reporting for period 1 - FLEXI-cross (Flexible and Improved Border-Crossing Experience for Passengers and Authorities)
Période du rapport: 2022-09-01 au 2024-02-29
The FLEXI-cross project aims to increase security and reliability of EU border checks for people and goods, while enhancing and improving the border management capabilities, through the development, deployment and validation of a toolkit of innovative border-checking solutions, in real operational environments, addressing road, rail and port borders. The resulting flexibility and dynamicity of border check planning will offer novel capabilities such as dynamic deployment of check-points and support via mobile applications for border personnel, while guaranteeing high level of security, privacy of personal data and protection of people's fundamental rights.
Through the FLEXI-cross solution the following functionalities will be delivered:
i) anti-trafficking and anti-smuggling protection via predictive risk assessment of vehicle and people,
ii) enhanced border security through portable biometric based checks,
iii) secure person verification through real-time multi-source cross-referencing,
iv) flexible, fast and cost-effective deployment of ad-hoc Border Check Points (BCP),
v) secure, private and traceable sensitive / personal data exchange based on blockchain technology and vi) increased safety and improved experience for border-personnel based on advanced Human Machine Interfaces and enhanced situational awareness via Augmented Reality (AR).
To achieve these ambitious goals, the FLEXI-cross project engages key European border authorities and end-users (police, port/rail operators, etc.) and brings them together with leading SW and technology developers, research organizations and innovative SMEs, to co-design the requirements and the solutions and to validate the project outcomes. This collaboration will drive the deployment of three state-of-the-art border-checking trial facilities, to enable real life trials in diverse operational environments, namely, vehicle-based road border crossing, rail-based border-crossing and port embarkation/disembarkation.
Through the FLEXI-cross solution the following functionalities will be delivered:
i) anti-trafficking and anti-smuggling protection via predictive risk assessment of vehicle and people,
ii) enhanced border security through portable biometric based checks,
iii) secure person verification through real-time multi-source cross-referencing,
iv) flexible, fast and cost-effective deployment of ad-hoc Border Check Points (BCP),
v) secure, private and traceable sensitive / personal data exchange based on blockchain technology and vi) increased safety and improved experience for border-personnel based on advanced Human Machine Interfaces and enhanced situational awareness via Augmented Reality (AR).
To achieve these ambitious goals, the FLEXI-cross project engages key European border authorities and end-users (police, port/rail operators, etc.) and brings them together with leading SW and technology developers, research organizations and innovative SMEs, to co-design the requirements and the solutions and to validate the project outcomes. This collaboration will drive the deployment of three state-of-the-art border-checking trial facilities, to enable real life trials in diverse operational environments, namely, vehicle-based road border crossing, rail-based border-crossing and port embarkation/disembarkation.
The activities performed and the main achievements of the FLEXI-cross project during the first period are the following:
- State-of-the-art analysis
- Collection of user requirements
- Collection of use cases through the compilation of excels to describe the user journey
- Definition of the hardware and software assets (backend systems, devices, new tools to be developed) for each use cases
- Design of the FLEXI-cross toolkit architecture and the micro-architectures of the 34 different software modules
- Set up of an integration server for an early integration
- Preparation for the trials and validation activities
- Dissemination activities of the project and initialization of synergy activities with other similar projects. A cluster will be created among projects of Cluster 3 under the topic Fight Crime and Terrorism and Border Management that are more engaged in biometrics techniques and technologies development in the context of Forensic practices and Border crossing checks.
- Collection of 14 key exploitable results, IPR and Expected outcomes impact
- Ethics requirements compliancy of the deliverables. The first set of deliverables have been submitted, analyzed by the External Ethics Advisor and the suggestions received by the EEA will be then incorporated especially in deliverable D1.4 D2.2 and D3.1.
All the scientific and technical activities are conducted with experts in the field of Biometric techniques. The overall plan is to create a first Whitepaper about the commonalities and findings discovered with sister projects but also a paper as recommendation to policy officers.
- State-of-the-art analysis
- Collection of user requirements
- Collection of use cases through the compilation of excels to describe the user journey
- Definition of the hardware and software assets (backend systems, devices, new tools to be developed) for each use cases
- Design of the FLEXI-cross toolkit architecture and the micro-architectures of the 34 different software modules
- Set up of an integration server for an early integration
- Preparation for the trials and validation activities
- Dissemination activities of the project and initialization of synergy activities with other similar projects. A cluster will be created among projects of Cluster 3 under the topic Fight Crime and Terrorism and Border Management that are more engaged in biometrics techniques and technologies development in the context of Forensic practices and Border crossing checks.
- Collection of 14 key exploitable results, IPR and Expected outcomes impact
- Ethics requirements compliancy of the deliverables. The first set of deliverables have been submitted, analyzed by the External Ethics Advisor and the suggestions received by the EEA will be then incorporated especially in deliverable D1.4 D2.2 and D3.1.
All the scientific and technical activities are conducted with experts in the field of Biometric techniques. The overall plan is to create a first Whitepaper about the commonalities and findings discovered with sister projects but also a paper as recommendation to policy officers.
The FLEXI-cross solutions will deliver efficient, secure, safe and flexible border-checking operation which will significantly improve the traveller’s experience by reducing the waiting and processing time of the border-checking process via: (i) traveller pre-registration capability, (ii) targeted in-depth searches instead of randomized ones, (iii) increased detection rate and detection speed of risky incidents, (iv) predictive risk assessment of travellers and vehicles and (v) flexible and optimized checking process
based on real-time data and with optimized use of human and other resources. Moreover, the border crossing experience for both travellers and border personnel will be significantly improved thanks to the following features delivered by FLEXI-cross: (vi) traveller interaction and information provision via the FLEXI-Cross portal (e.g. HMI via smartphone) and (vii) enhanced awareness for the border personnel via AR enabled solutions.
The results delivered during the first period are:
- the first drop of the FLEXI-cross toolkit (more detail will come later when the modules will be dropped in their final version)
- the almost final version of the data model for the interoperability among different authorities
- the first version of the GUI for the Visuali Analytics Dashboard
- the first version of the Data Export
- the use cases scenarios identified with steps for the validation and the related association of KPI and metrics that will be measured during the trials
In the second reporting period more information will be presented to explain the final scientific achievement of the technical modules.
based on real-time data and with optimized use of human and other resources. Moreover, the border crossing experience for both travellers and border personnel will be significantly improved thanks to the following features delivered by FLEXI-cross: (vi) traveller interaction and information provision via the FLEXI-Cross portal (e.g. HMI via smartphone) and (vii) enhanced awareness for the border personnel via AR enabled solutions.
The results delivered during the first period are:
- the first drop of the FLEXI-cross toolkit (more detail will come later when the modules will be dropped in their final version)
- the almost final version of the data model for the interoperability among different authorities
- the first version of the GUI for the Visuali Analytics Dashboard
- the first version of the Data Export
- the use cases scenarios identified with steps for the validation and the related association of KPI and metrics that will be measured during the trials
In the second reporting period more information will be presented to explain the final scientific achievement of the technical modules.