SmartPol Status 2022

The proposed project involves the development of a modern concept involving artificial intelligence, real-time monitoring of pollutants using IoT platforms and later data processing.

SMARTPOL’s functional components

Interactive Software (ISW) is responsible for defining the technical aspects involved in the collection of pollution data at the USV level and their transmission to the command and coordination center level. Within the command and coordination center, ISW delivers a USV monitoring and remote control application.

The activities undertaken by ISW targeted the aspects assumed by the project, within stage 1, respectively, starting from the concrete aspects that currently govern pollution monitoring operations in marine areas. From the very wide spectrum of actions specific to pollution monitoring, the SMARTPOL team will focus on a quick procedure involving steps in the prevention regime, real-time data collection and post-processing of collected data.

SMARTPOL’s general working procedure

Procedurally, the detection will be largely achieved through the analysis of satellite images – images and satellite and AIS (Automated Identification Systems) data from maritime vessels. In the case of the detection of potential areas of contamination with pollutants, the drone from the project will be used to confirm the situations, which will contain pollution measurement capabilities at the level of the vessel.

From the initial analysis regarding the functional block diagram of the SMARTPOL system, ISW investigated the elements for which it is directly responsible, namely the data acquisition components, data transmission and their integration into the architectural component for the pilot system. As part of the project, ISW also delivers the command and control component of the USV system. The elements in the ISW competency are figured in the red block graphics.

Excerpt from the detailed functional diagram and representation of coordinated elements by ISW

The IoT module related to the USV (Unmanned Surface Vehicle)/drone platform’s pollution detection capability, a set of hardware and software equipment for sensor integration, data acquisition and their transmission through the communications module to the command center will be a standardized module that it will be able to be applied in the case of pilot sites when tests will be carried out to validate the concepts of performance, efficiency in pollution detection, respectively in the sites in Turkey, Malta and South Africa.

The IoT module will incorporate standardized and uniform mechanisms for the identified use cases, but also for similar situations regarding pollution monitoring, both from the hardware and software design perspective, by applying open data structures, that could be integrated and supported by open technologies for retrieval, their processing and processing, including API functions and software libraries.

The result indicators obtained after the implementation period are internal, related to the activities in which ISW actively participated, namely the development of usage scenarios and technical requirements and the design of the system architecture.

The SMARTPOL project was presented at the MarTERA autumn conference from October 25-27, 2020, a meeting place between representatives of international coordinators, government funding agencies, members of project consortia and beneficiaries of the results of programs financed by the ERA-NET program.