The challenge of ARESIBO is to use the new fusion techniques, Artificial intelligence and Augmented Reality to help the border guards to improve the situation awareness and the transmission of information between the patrolling teams and the tactical command and control centre in charge of the sector. ARESIBO will develop the new operational capabilities both for green and blue borders. The project objectives are:
. Develop a mock-up of what the whole system should be now in all EU Member States: modern command and control centre connected to patrol teams, unmanned surveillance platforms (air, ground, surface, underwater), the whole being supported by a reliable hybrid communication network.
. Enhance the system operational capabilities using emerging techniques/technologies in fusion, augmented reality, decision support domains to make the situation more comprehensive and readable by the end-users.
The project is user oriented and will be developed incrementally following a spiral pattern (3 versions). The end-users will be invited at each important milestone so as to validate/re-orient as needed.In a first step, two models of the systems will be designed, corresponding to green and blue borders as an effort to standardise the system capabilities in Europe. Then the new technologies will be integrated. Finally, the system will be customised for the trials campaigns, connecting the existing systems where relevant.
The system structure, based on high TRL components will be TRL 7/8. The new/emerging technologies integrated in this structure will target a TRL 6.
The target end users are Coast Guards (in general), Border Polices, both at tactical and at patrol levels.
For the 3 versions, there will be trials in Finland (outdoor) and in Scaramanga premises near Athens, where all the assets can be used freely.
ARESIBO will take into account FRONTEX initiatives and especially the coast guards blue books. Possible new procedures will be proposed with the new technologies.
At the end of the first period, the project is finalising the integration of the first version.
In the second period of the project, the system was customised for the different versions (Maritime borders and Land borders). With delays tue to covid travel restrictions, the first pilot (Maritime) was organised by Mariha in Troia (Portugal) in the frame of a NATO exercise 'REPMUS) in September 2021. The pilot demonstrated that the communications and the C2 were operational. The VR system was not ready to be tested and was demonstrated though simple scenarios. The next pilot (Land border) was organised by Finnish Border guards in Imatra (Finland) in a training facility (March 2022). The end-users took very quickly the control of the system and used it in a real way. The final pilot of the project (Maritime), taking into account the lessons-learnt from the previous pilots was organised in Skaramanga (Athens, Greece) by the Hellenic Ministry of finace and the Hellenic Navy, bringing the real assets and staffing to operate them. The pilot was considered as a very instructive experience by end-users that tested the C2 and the VR devices.
