CONVOY (ClOud iNtelligent explosiVe detectiOn sYstem)
The aim of the CONVOY project is to combine sensing technologies for the detection and recognition of hidden threats, including improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and landmines.
A combination of intelligent robots, drones and sensing technologies will use tactical cloud infrastructures and artificial intelligence to detect, recognise, and avoid/neutralise hidden threats.
Motivation and Objective
IEDs and landmines are one of the leading causes of death among the military. In view of this, the proposal arises to create the CONVOY project, with the objective to help reduce the number of victims.
CONVOY will improve the detection of improvised explosive devices through sensor learning in a cloud infrastructure.
Project Objectives
The CONVOY project intends to cover several fields, so the objectives set are numerous.
Detection
Detection and localization of hidden threats using enhanced detection technologies.
enhacement
Physics-based sensors enhancement.
Data collection
Collection of representative data for object detection and localization.
sensors
Use of various ground and aerial borne sensors combined with information fusion techniques.
Data Exploitation
Better exploitation of limited amounts of data.
Cooperation
Multidisciplinary cooperation between the hardware sensors and AI communities.
Scope
The CONVOY project covers a large number of fields, including technological solutions capable of detecting and characterizing IEDs and landmines in complex environments. For this, it is crucial the use of a combination of advanced sensors, which will lead to a fusion of information collected through all these sensors. To extend the detection capabilities use will be made of both unmanned ground and aerial systems.
The solutions proposed will be evaluable through the testing environment set up in the framework of technological challenges. Consequently, the scope of the project also includes the participation in test campaigns, the delivery of sensor data collected during the field tests, and the delivery of descriptions of the systems submitted to the tests.
Communication and Data Distribution
- Tactical Cloud
- Virtualization
- Data Fusion
- Edge Processing
- Autonomous Systems and Orchestration
Sensing and Data Processing
- Data Fusion and Analysis
- Artificial Intelligence
- Remote Sensing and Imaging
- Interoperability Sensor Networking
- Real Time Processing and Batch Processing
Unmanned Vehicles
- Mission Planning
- Complex scenario definition
- Swarming
- DIL COMS (resilience, Reliability, Low Latency)
Planning
organization
- 1 awarded consortium for the organization of the tech. challenge
- 4 years execution
- 4 awarded consortia for the participation in the tech. challenge
execution
- 4 evaluation campaigns (field tests)
- Different scenarios under test
- Experimentation in a relevant environment
results
- Achieve knowledge from tactical cloud infrastructures
- Lessons learnt from multiple sensor data acquisition
- Data fusion processes analysis
Facing the Challenges
Innovative Sensors
It is essential to have innovative sensors to be able to identify different types of elements, whether by their shape, composition, or electromagnetic radiation. At the same time, new technologies will enable adaptation to the constant evolution of IEDs.
The collection of data can lead to false positives that must be identified.
Tactical Cloud
A Tactical Cloud will provide real-time processing near the edge, which will imply early risk assessment and high scalability.
Automation and AI
One of the most important features of autonomous vehicles is the risk reduction for personnel. On the other hand, the use of both aerial and ground platforms allows covering large spaces.
Regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), it will allow to process larger volumes of data while decreasing the workload.
