Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV)
Discover cutting-edge solutions from 10 leading global suppliers
GPASEABOTS is carrying out survey operations at the marina of Palamós, on the Costa Brava (Girona, Spain).
The research, which is expected to last until August this year, is part of PORTS4ALL, a project whose goal is to restore the marine ecosystems in port facilities, improving their sustainability through digital tools within the framework of connected Industry 4.0.
This initiative is being implemented by a consortium formed by Aldasa Sistemas, a company specializing in environmental analysis; Seastainable Ventures, a firm focused on sustainable development; Eurecat-Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, the Catalan Water Partnership (CWP) and GPASEABOTS.
Data acquisition with surface drones
GPASEABOTS uses its SB 100 PRO, a versatile, ultra-compact Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV). The device has been specifically designed to work in environments with 4G connectivity. It is a multifunctional platform ready to incorporate several instruments and, depending on the payloads added, perform tasks related to hydrography, water analysis, mooring inspection, scientific research, search & rescue missions and water cleaning. These vehicles are prepared to access restricted areas and places that may be difficult to navigate or dangerous for people.
The purpose of the aquatic drone is related to the installation of marine regeneration systems known as BioBoosting Sysems (BBS). These have been developed with 3D printing, materials that are characteristic of the coral and help to recover the marine flora and fauna in environments degraded by anthropogenic activity. To evaluate the growth of flora and the attraction of marine species, the GPASEABOTS SB 100 PRO, equipped with a multibeam probe, analyzes various parameters of interest. The device allows all these data to be gathered and sent to the cloud. These not only serve to track conditions around BBS structures, but also to create virtual sensors that will monitor biodiversity and carbon sequestration capacity in the fight against climate change.
Atmospheric conditions forecasts
Moreover, based on historical rainfall data, the PORTS4ALL project is also investigating advanced Artificial Intelligence systems (Machine Learning) that will make it possible to predict discharges from the sewage network in the vicinity of the port, which could have a negative impact on the water sources nearby. In a situation of climatic emergency, where torrential rains are becoming more and more common and damaging, predictive tools become indispensable to anticipate the consequences of these phenomena.
The project, which has received funding from the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Tourism through the call for AEIs and the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (file number AEI-010500-2021b-34), is scheduled to be completed next August.
