AUTOASSESS launches Open Call for Innovative Tech Solutions

Co-funded by the European Union, AUTOASSESS aims to remove human surveyors from dangerous enclosed areas such as ballast tanks or cargo holds. By leveraging autonomous robotic systems, the project seeks to achieve precise and efficient vessel inspections, ensuring structural safety and reducing operational downtime.

Challenges

• Challenge 1 – Reliable high-bandwidth communication for off-board control of drones
• Domain: Telecommunications, Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), control systems, network protocol
• The primary objectives of this challenge are:
  • To develop and demonstrate a wireless communication system that can provide high-bandwidth and low-latency links for the offboard control of drones
  • To ensure the reliability and robustness of the communication system under various environmental conditions and operational scenarios, including barriers and high interference environments (e.g. through multiple levels of at least 2cm thick steel and during demonstrations with a large number of connected devices around)
  • To optimize the integration of this communication system with existing drone control and navigation systems to enhance their performance
• Challenge 2 – Stereo event-camera on miniature drone
• Domain: Sensor integration, computer vision, design and development of miniaturized drones, advanced camera systems
• The primary objectives of this project are:
  • To design and develop a mini drone with a < 6-inch frame size that incorporates a stereo event camera
  • To ensure that the mini drone is capable of agile flight and real-time data processing of the onboard sensors
  • To integrate the stereo event camera with the drone’s control and navigation systems, enhancing the drone’s ability to perceive its environment and effectively avoid obstacles
• Challenge 3 – Human Operator interface for FA-IUAS
• Domain: Cargo hull & ballast tank
• Objectives:
  • Developing a high-TRL operator interface for the FA-IUAS to unlock the capabilities of fully actuated aerial platforms in autonomous contact-based NDT inspections.
• Crack detection with multi-element ultrasound transducer
• Domain: NDT, Ultrasound
• Objectives:
  • Design a multi-element ultrasound transducer concept for crack detection of tank walls and ship hulls suitable for use as a payload for drones in AUTOASSESS.
  • Perform tests to verify its applicability for crack detection in realistic conditions.
• Challenge 5 – Synchronization of multi-modal sensor data
• Domain: Sensor synchronization, sensor fusion, (Time-Sensitive) Networkin
• Objectives:
  • The objectives of this challenge will be to develop a prototype that integrates a hardware solution for accurate time synchronization of multi-sensor data on an AUTOASSESS drone. A drone carrying an inertial measurement unit, LiDAR, camera, and barometer, alongside the hardware for time synchronization, will be used to perform field tests and collect datasets. The performance gain achieved with high precision hardware time synchronization of multimodal sensor data should be assessed and investigated. Specifically, the drone’s capability to autonomously map, assess, and navigate in an unknown GNSS denied environment should be reviewed.
  • A precise and accurate hardware-based approach to multi- sensor data time synchronization will be compared to a purely software-based approach, using key markers of a known location in the environment as “ground truth”, allowing for an objective comparison between the two approaches to sensor data fusion.

Benefits

• Get grants up to €100k
  • Funding rate of 70% of the costs for SMEs and 100% for Startups
• Benefit from AUTOASSESS team of experts guidance, mentorship, training and access to infrastructure (demonstrators)
• Be part of AUTOASSESS success stories, fostering industry uptake of AUTOASSESS solution
• Contribute to real impact on demonstrators and end-user entities

Eligibility Criteria

• Startups and SMEs applying individually or in consortia (up to two entities)
• Applicants must be established/resident in Member States (MS) of the European Union (EU), including their outermost region; or Horizon Europe Associated countries.

For more information, visit AUTOASSESS.