Project Summary

Project Summary

From ancient times, transportation of goods is done mostly by sea, since it is the most reliable and cost-efficient way. Crucial to that direction is the geographical formation of the land, the continuous development of the shipping industry. Even so, a major danger for commercial shipping is sea piracy. It is the result of the social, political and economic instability that occurs in various countries on the planet. The financial consequences that piracy induces on the maritime community are as significant as the costs shouldered by all the countries that have taken and are taking part in mitigating the phenomenon.The use of new technologies such as UAS is necessary for the confrontation of the mentioned problem. Utilizing the capabilities of new technologies, new innovative ways of assisting private guards protecting merchant ships, and/or their own crews, can address piracy more effectively. It is possible that these new ways are more feasible, economical, easier to use, faster, safer, regardless of weather or other conditions, with higher precision and lower cost than the existing ones. They can be interoperable and capable of immediate data processing and analysis, readily accessible to any interested party. The purpose of this proposal is based on a business idea to develop two different types of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for surveillance on sea areas. The first UAS will be properly equipped with sensors, other recording instruments and an integrated processing system for the purpose of reviewing, collecting, recording, and processing data and identifying various unknown floating "targets" in order to avoid and prevent piracy in commercial ships. In addition, it will be significantly different from existing unmanned systems at both design and equipment level as it will have customized 'intelligent systems' of data capture and reading overview based on the combined use of sensors and ground control systems to enable remotely operate and manage missions at operational level. The second UAS system to be developed in the context of this proposal will be small, flexible, and easy to use by a non-specialized operator. In particular, it will be deployed by its operators, while the ship is or being occupied by pirates. Its purpose will be to follow its ship or the ship of the pirates, at an appropriate height and distance for the significant starting period of ongoing piracy action by transmitting at appropriate frequencies Mayday (SOS) signals as well as critical information about the ship it follows. In particular, while following the ship, in addition to transmitting the distress signal (S.O.S), it will relay the position of the ship, and potentially images of the state of the ship's vulnerable places through a network of microcameras installed on the ship's bridge, escape room and other spots. The whole business venture is based on the need for continuous provision of security services on merchant ships crossing areas, where pirate teams operate, thus securing the safer movement of human and goods. The result of this project will contribute significantly to the competitiveness of businesses and research organizations that deal with piracy as it will form a basis of modern security services at national, European and global level.

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Usefulness of the project

The potential of new technologies may highlight new, innovative ways of helping private guards and/or crews of merchant ships tackle piracy more effectively so that they can be:
● feasible and economical
● Interoperable and capable of immediate collection, processing and analysis of data
● readily accessible to any interested party The purpose of this proposal is to develop two different types of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs). In the first UAS, the use of appropriate sensors and other recording instruments as well as their integrated processing system will be explored, with the aim of collecting, reviewing, recording, processing data with the end result of identifying various unknown "targets" floating in maritime areas, in order to avoid and prevent piracy on merchant ships. This system will be the "long arm" of the private guards aboard merchant ships and/or the crews of merchant ships. Ground control systems will ensure its remote operation and management at the operational level of the missions. Monitoring will rely on a combination of high spatial resolution and thermal spectrum sensors. This information will be provided in real time and in accordance with the operators’ requirements. The second UAS will be small, flexible and easy to use by non-specialists (such as merchant ship crew etc). It will be used in cases of piracy as a "rescue beacon". It will be deployed by its operators in case the ship is or being occupied by pirates. The project will contribute significantly to the competitiveness of businesses and research organizations, as the innovative system and products developed will form the basis for providing modern services at national and global level. In addition, they will contribute positively to the national economy by enhancing scientific research and innovation as a planning, as well as decision support tool for the protection of merchant ships. It will also make a significant contribution to Research, as the products that will be developed will be innovative and will form the basis for further research in this area, aiming to utilize in the future new sources of information. In conclusion, new jobs will be created and people with different backgrounds will engage for a common purpose, thereby expanding their own professional skills. There are expected to be significant results of the project for merchant ships and shipping industry in general, especially in the following areas.
● Fighting piracy
● Ability for better surveillance of sea areas
● Earlier warning of a potential pirate threat,
● Optimization of ship routes,
● Shortening distances
● Saving floating time
● Saving crew’s time
● Fuel saving
● Saving ship rental time
● Reduce the cost of purchasing equipment for preventing and responding to a pirate incident
● Reduce insurance costs for crews, ships and freight.
● Reduce the risk and cost of providing armed and unarmed security services on commercial ships
● Avoid unpleasant situations of abductions, hostages or even death, not just on crew members by pirate attacks
● Reduce the economic losses of adjacent to pirate areas countries, countries with developed tourism, countries with large fish stocks, etc. The results of this project are also expected to be significant in complementary sectors or activities as listed below:
● Search and rescue at sea
● Safety of maritime targets
● Surveillance of sea area
● Coverage of “dead zones” of marine and coastal telecommunications using a frequency transponder
● Recognise marine hazards
● Prevent marine accidents

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Partners

AS PROTE
MARITIME LTD

AS PROTE MARITIME LTD

A. S. Prote Maritime Ltd is a private enterprise that provides security and consulting services, operating since 2013 in Athens, Greece as a subsidiary of the Cypriot A. S. Prote Maritime Ltd with the main purpose to provide consulting services to businesses or industries that are primarily related to the commercial shipping market and/or are active in the marine environment. It operates in the field of protection and security advisory services to merchants ships against piracy by introducing and implementing measures to increase their security and conducts tasks and management and/or support operations for merchant ships. It also provides research and development services for multimedia product (interactive and/or non-interactive, with ether real-time and/or linear content development) for applications in the wider area of show business, the web, education and advertising, such as virtual reality, two-dimensional and three-dimensional representations, content for planetariums (Dometheatres), digital platforms as well as IT product research and development services. Lately, it has expanded its business to the use of new digital technologies primarily, but not only, in marine areas, providing services:
● research and experimental development in geosciences and environmental sciences
● research and development of geoinformatics products, onshore and marine environment mapping, remote sensing and photogrammetry as well as environmental impact studies. The company is staffed and cooperates with people with years of experience and applied know-how in all of the aforementioned fields.

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Department of Oceanography and Marine Sciences

Τμήμα Επιστημών της Θάλασσας (ΤΕΘ)

The Department of Oceanography and Marine Life Sciences (DOMLS) of the University of the Aegean conducts research in various areas related to the marine environment, such as climate change, function and health of the ecosystem, fishing, aquaculture. It performs research in subjects such as marine resources, coastal zone problems such as coastal erosion and pollution as well as integrated management of coastal and marine areas based on a ecosystem approach. DOMLS is housed in a newly built 5200 sq.m. building in the campus on the Hill of the University in Mytilene and is well equipped for high quality educational & research operation. In addition to specialized biological, oceanographic, and hydroacoustic equipment for field research, available facilities include breeding sites for invertebrate and algae organisms, marine organisms and fish breeding laboratories for research purposes, as well as fully equipped Biology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Geology and Computer laboratories. The laboratories are staffed by technical staff, who supports the educational work and is tasked with designing and manufacturing experimental equipment. The Department owns and operates a Research / Educational Boat short sea shipping named “Amphitritis”, designed and equipped to serve research activities in the coastal zone.

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