SPACE-BASED APPLICATIONS FOR TRANSPORT MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT

Informations projet

SPATRA

N° de convention de subvention: 101129658

DOI

10.3030/101129658

Projet clôturé

Date de signature de la CE 1 Decembre 2023

Date de début 1 Janvier 2024

Date de fin 31 Decembre 2025

Financé au titre de

• Digital, Industry and Space

Coût total

€ 999 968,75

Contribution de l’UE

€ 999 968,75

Coordonné par

OHB DIGITAL SERVICES GMBH
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SPATRA (SPACE-BASED APPLICATIONS FOR TRANSPORT MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT)

Période du rapport: 2025-01-01 au 2025-12-31

Résumé du contexte et des objectifs généraux du projet

The SPATRA project aimed to increase the use of satellite data in land transport by developing and demonstrating two downstream applications for monitoring and management of rail and road transport in operational environments. Two pilot systems were developed within the project: the Road Infrastructure Monitoring Pilot (RDP) and the Railway Monitoring and Prediction of Rail Temperature Zones and Early Warnings Pilot (RWP)

The Road Infrastructure Monitoring Pilot (RDP) is a space-data-based service for monitoring and predicting traffic congestion and parking-space availability at border crossings using satellite imagery, UAV observations and in-situ monitoring data. The service supports freight and logistics operators by improving situational awareness and enabling better-informed route planning and scheduling decisions. By providing near real-time information on border congestion and estimated waiting times, the service helps logistics operators mitigate delays, optimise operations and reduce associated economic and environmental costs.

The Railway Monitoring Pilot (RWP) is a space-data-based service for predicting rail-track temperature and estimating the risk of rail buckling using thermal and optical satellite data combined with environmental sensor measurements. The system supports railway infrastructure managers in addressing temperature-related risks such as heat-induced track deformation and maintenance disruptions. By enabling earlier detection of hazardous conditions, the service contributes to improved infrastructure safety, more targeted maintenance planning and reduced operational disruptions.

The project brings together a consortium of technology providers, research institutions and industry partners to develop and validate these services in real operational environments. By integrating satellite data with ground-based measurements and advanced analytics, SPATRA demonstrates how space technologies can support more efficient, safer and environmentally sustainable transport systems.

Through the innovative use of EGNSS positioning and Copernicus Earth Observation data, SPATRA contributes to strengthening the adoption of European space services in the transport sector. The project results are expected to support improved transport efficiency, enhanced infrastructure monitoring and better risk management, while also contributing to broader European policy objectives related to sustainable mobility, digitalisation and climate resilience

Travail effectué depuis le début du projet jusqu’à la fin de la période considérée dans le rapport et principaux résultats atteints jusqu’à présent

SPATRA developed, integrated and demonstrated innovative space-based services for monitoring and management of land transport in the road and railway sectors. The work followed a structured development pathway starting from requirements analysis and use-case definition, through technology development and system integration, to demonstration and validation in operational environments.

During the initial phase, the functional and non-functional system requirements were defined and use cases were elaborated for the two pilot systems: the Road Infrastructure Monitoring Pilot (RDP) and the Railway Monitoring and Prediction of Rail Temperature Zones and Early Warnings Pilot (RWP). Based on these use cases, the system architecture, data sources, processing workflows and evaluation procedures, including Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), were specified.

Technological components were then developed for both pilots. For the road use case, algorithms for truck detection and tracking using satellite imagery were developed together with machine-learning and computer-vision algorithms for UAV-based monitoring of traffic flows and parking occupancy at border crossings. An EGNSS-based tracking system for trucks was also implemented to support congestion monitoring and Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) prediction.

For the railway use case, methods were developed to generate rail environment temperature profiles from Earth Observation data and machine-learning models were implemented to predict rail-track temperature and estimate rail buckling risk.

The developed components were integrated into two pilot platforms, which were demonstrated in operational environments in Serbia. The results confirmed reliable system performance and demonstrated the feasibility of combining satellite data with UAV observations, EGNSS positioning and in-situ measurements for improved transport monitoring and infrastructure risk assessment.

Progrès au-delà de l’état des connaissances et impact potentiel prévu (y compris l’impact socio-économique et les conséquences sociétales plus larges du projet jusqu’à présent)

SPATRA advances beyond the state of the art through a novel use of satellite data in land transport applications. Besides this general contribution, SPATRA innovative solutions will have potential impact to each considered mode of land transport, road and rail.

In the road transport domain, SPATRA's innovative approach to logistics and traffic flow monitoring using satellite-based EO data has the potential to revolutionize the way we manage and optimize transportation networks. While acknowledging the limitations of real-time detection, the project will integrate other open data sources such
as weather patterns to develop more sophisticated classifiers that can predict congestion with higher accuracy. By providing prediction information on traffic flows and congestion based on Sentinel-2, assisted with EGNSS-based drones and location trackers, assisted with open data, SPATRA will be capable to detect and predict the traffic flow. The project will contribute to the field of smart mobility and logistics by developing practical solutions that can be implemented in the short term while laying the groundwork for future research and development, thereby improving traffic flow management and logistics operations through the power of satellite-based monitoring, drone imaging and open data sources. This will result ultimately with reduced economic costs associated with congestion and delays while also contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly transportation system.

Regarding the rail workstream, current satellite-based imagery offers solutions primarily for vegetation intrusion detection, and natural hazard risk assessments, leading to reduced needs for “manual” onsite inspections. The later besides the economic advantage, cost reduction leads to safety increase and risk reduction to personnel, as no personnel walking along the railroad line for the purpose of monitoring is required. SPATRA proposes a novel service that will offer solution to problem caused by extreme temperatures that are consequences of climate changes. In this way, SPATRA will have great impact to railway safety in current climate circumstances and great economic impacts to rail industry as reducing the unnecessary delays and improving the management.