Puglia Region, recently gave its approval for the “Marin” (Remote integrated naval environmental monitoring) initiative, with a total investment of over € 6 million on three years duration.
In fact, the project came as part of Puglia’s Program Contracts which goals to enhance the research and innovation of large companies.
For the records, the Marin initiative aims to develop a multi-functional unmanned marine platform which integrates and coordinates aerial and underwater drones in a coastal monitoring scenario for environmental safety and littoral security operations, managed remotely, through a control station and the aid of specific decision support systems.
Accordingly, the project will enable new technologies through tests at sea on a technological demonstrator.
Specifically, the demonstrator will include a package of of innovative sensors and control systems, suitably released on an existing naval platform of about 20 m in length, so as to allow remote monitoring and control from an operator station on the ground.
The initiative’s operations will take place in Lecce, under the coordination of Seastema (a Fincantieri Group company) and with the collaboration of RINA Consulting, Co.M.Media (small enterprise operating in ICT) and the the University of Salento and Apphia (innovative enterprise).
In light of the above, Alessandro Concialini , CEO of Seastema, stated:
We strongly believe in the development of unmanned ships and we are particularly proud to put our experience and know-how at the service of such a challenging project, which can be the engine of a strong boost of industrial innovation in the area and beyond. It is thanks to initiatives of this kind that Seastema will strengthen its technological leadership in a very competitive sector.
What is more, Seastema from its side will develop the automatic control, decision support and sensor data fusion logics required to provide the tools for complete management and situational awareness of the vehicle to the remote operator.
