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Smart Maritime and Underwater Guardian

Project description

Keeping ports safe by tackling underwater threats

Beneath the tranquil waters of our ports lies a hidden hazard, jeopardising infrastructure and vessels alike. Illicit and dangerous goods, as well as concealed threats, often evade detection under water. In this context, the EU-funded SMAUG project aims to transform underwater threat detection in ports. Specifically, it integrates advanced systems, combining port security infrastructure, cutting-edge underwater detection methods and vigilant surveillance vessels. This approach incorporates acoustic detection, rapid sonar hull scans, high-resolution sonar inspections and the collective action of autonomous underwater vehicles. These elements join forces to empower artificial intelligence modules, ultimately fortifying our capacity to safeguard ports and identify concealed threats in vessels, and ushering in a new era of maritime security.

Objective

The primary goal of SMAUG is to improve the underwater detection of threats in ports and their entrance routes, by means of a integrated system capable of providing data concerning threat analysis between 3 main elements: ports security infrastructure, advanced underwater detection systems and surveillance vessels. Underwater detection and location will be performed by four primary methods: i) acoustic detection, where a series of hydrophones will listen for sounds emitted by small underwater vehicles and will be processed by artificial intelligence methods, ii) rapid sonar hull scan, used to scan ships hulls and perform harbour floor scanning, iii) high resolution sonar inspection, to inspect objects in water with poor visibility and iv) collective autonomous location, where a swarm of autonomous underwater vehicles will act cooperatively. This will provide information to Artificial Intelligence modules which will improve the way detecting illicit and dangerous goods and/or of threats hidden below the water surface is currently done, taking into account sources such as Unmanned Surface Vehicle Systems, (USV), underswater remote operation vehicle (ROV), UAV (Aerial autonomous vehicle) and Port current information sources. The combination of these tools will allow SMAUG to prompt solutions capable of detecting possible threats to infrastructure or vessels, as well as identify vessels with concealed goods.

Coordinator

INDRA SISTEMAS SA
Net EU contribution
€ 329 593,75
Address
AVENIDA DE BRUSELAS 35
28108 Alcobendas Madrid
Spain

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Region
Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
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Total cost
€ 821 000,01

Participants (24)