The work done in the second period of the project, from M19 (March 2022) to M38 (October 2023) was devoted to the finalisation of the major components of METICOS as listed below:
Technology Acceptance Models (TAM): Study of smart border crossing technologies from a user experience perspective in order to understand and predict acceptance, as a critical step towards ensuring adoption. TAM's role was to receive data from travellers’ and border authorities’ questionnaires (from pan-European survey and METICOS pilots).
Social Sensing Platform (SSP): Social Sensing toolkit received the real time border statistics from big data analytics engine. There is no link currently from embedded tech acceptance prediction module to social sensing toolkit however, Social sensing toolkit expects to generate rules out of the recent questionnaire results of the embedded tech acceptance prediction module.
Big Data Analytics Engine (BDAE): The BDAE module aimed to harmonize data from heterogenous sources and, by using a portfolio of Machine Learning, Deep Learning and Statistical algorithms as well as Data Analytics techniques, to uncover patterns regarding acceptance of Smart Border Control Technologies for both border control staff and travelers and to expose the results of the analysis to end-users through an interactive dashboard platform.
Middleware: is an essential component of the METICOS ecosystem, providing a range of advanced Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that allow seamless communication between applications. This middleware supported data communication between internal services, user interface components, and database interactions, ensuring secure transmission of critical information in real-time. Its flexibility and adaptability make it suitable for a broad range of applications, making it an indispensable tool in the field of data communication and system integration.
METICOS VR toolkit: It is a crucial component of METICOS, able to simulate the operation of the ABC gates (or any other modern BCP solution) and acceptance from the users in a virtual, simulated environment, avoiding in that way the collection of any personal or biometric information.
In the context of ethics and legal framework, a review of newly introduced legislation or upcoming legislation relevant to the project (e.g. CER directive, Artificial Intelligence Act) has been conducted, and two EAB organised in order to review the status of METICOS ethical requirements.
Regarding the System Integration, interoperability was achieved with the METICOS core components through which it is possible to update the severity level.
Regarding the field demonstrations and testing, preparation activities were done for the planned trials. The activities included testing of interoperability between different Key Results and components as well as logistics and other travel and hosting tasks. During and after the Operational Test and Demo pilots, the Pilot Validation and Demonstration Plan and Validation Scenario and Evaluation Methodology documents were filled.
The communication and dissemination activities during the reporting period were successfully conducted. In the context of WP11, particular effort was made to consolidate the network built through the BES Cluster and prepare for the Final Event. The consolidation of the network requires the sustained participation of the project partners in conferences to promote the results obtained.
Regarding the exploitation activities, a further analysis and addition of METICOS KERs is an important step because this is a continuous activity. In particular, a Joint Exploitation Schema, following a larger grouping mechanism to cover a core and an integrated set of functionalities within the METICOS ecosystem and as a whole part to make the commercial proposition more compelling was discussed.
