INNOVATIVE DRONE TECHNOLOGY COULD IMPROVE IRELAND’S MARITIME SURVEILLANCE AND ABILITY TO COMBAT DRUG SMUGGLING

The U-AVES (Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles for Ecological Surveys) project is delighted to announce the commencement of their innovative test flights for ecological surveys off the coast of Doonbeg in County Clare. This project is funded by the government of Ireland which was awarded by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

August 2024 – A significant milestone in the U-AVES project has been achieved on the commencement of test flights using VTOL UAVs for ecological surveillance of the area surrounding Doonbeg.

Initial test flights, made possible through the partnership of A-techSYN, Atlantic Technological University (ATU), BlueWise Marine, and Energia Renewables, are the first step in the U-AVES project that aims to revolutionise ecological surveys in Ireland and abroad through the use of Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

The U-AVES project will utilise cameras and sensors deployed on a long endurance VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) fixed wing UAV to capture imagery of seabirds and marine mammals in the area.

Taking off from the picturesque coastal area of Doonbeg, Co. Clare, the flights are testing different cameras and sensors to determine the best configuration and optimal sensor configuration for data validation. The visuals collected from these flights are then meticulously analysed to evaluate the capability of the system to identify and count abundance of seabirds and marine mammals.

Following the initial test flights, Mark Early, Head of Aviation and Safety, at A-techSYN reported: “The integration of advanced sensor technologies significantly enhances the precision and reliability of data collection for the U-AVES project. Our flagship CGT-50 VTOL UAV is equipped with state-of-the-art imaging and environmental sensors, that are designed to withstand harsh marine conditions, ensuring consistent and high-quality data capture. This collaborative effort not only pushes the boundaries of current ecological monitoring techniques but also sets new benchmarks for future environmental and offshore renewable energy surveys, globally.”

Despite unforeseen circumstances resulting in the change of location from Newcastle to Doonbeg, A-techSYN and the wider U-AVES team have worked closely with the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) to get the test flights off the ground. A Temporary Restricted Area (TRA) has been issued by the IAA for the Co. Clare coastline from Monday the 8th of July until Friday the 4th of October 2024.

John Breslin, Managing Director at BlueWise Marine has said: “Obtaining the TRA is a major milestone for the U-AVES Project, demonstrating that the system and procedures comply with national aviation regulations having achieved the necessary authorisation from the IAA. Having a safe and regulated airspace for use by the project for almost 3 months, allows the project team to focus on undertaking flights to collect images of seabirds and mammals without external air traffic concerns, allowing more efficient and effective use of time and resources.”

TRA’s are a critical tool used to temporarily protect airspace, allowing specified procedures to take place in a safe and secure manner without interference from other aircrafts. This TRA permits use of the airspace adjacent to the Doonbeg site for the purpose of gathering imagery and video footage through the U-AVES project. This not only enhances the efficiency and reliability of the tests but also provides assurance to stakeholders about the safety and regulatory compliance of the operations.

This project has been supported with financial contribution from Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland under the SEAI Research, Development & Demonstration Funding Programme 2022, Grant number 22/RDD/851.

Ends

****

About the U-AVES Project Partners:

A-techSYN: A-techSYN is a technology company at the forefront of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) innovation, providing cutting-edge UAV technology and solutions. They are involved in collaboration projects with the Irish Navy, Irish Army, British Military of Defence, Taiwanese Navy, and third-level and research institutions in both Ireland and Europe. They are collaborating with companies in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America, South America and the Arctic Circle. See a-techsyn.com for more information.

Atlantic Technological University (ATU): ATU is a renowned academic institution committed to research, education, and environmental conservation. See atu.ie for more information.

BlueWise Marine: BlueWise Marine is a leading provider of marine technology solutions, stakeholder engagement, marketing, communications, health and safety (HSEQ), fisheries monitoring and infrastructure management services for marine and offshore renewable energy initiatives, projects and infrastructures. See bluewisemarine.ie for more information.

Energia Renewables: Energia Renewables is a leading developer and operator of renewable energy across the island of Ireland and supplies 21% of renewable electricity in Ireland. Energia has recently entered a partnership with Vårgrønn, an international offshore wind developer, to develop 2GW of offshore wind in Ireland by 2030. See energiagroup.com/renewables for more information.

About the SEAI RDD programme:

The SEAI National Energy Research, Development & Demonstration (RDD) Funding Programme spearheads support for research, innovation and coordination of Irish energy research efforts.

SEAI catalyses direct energy research action through the delivery of the annual RDD Programme and through capacity-building processes with citizens and communities as well as private and public sector organisations. The revitalised SEAI RDD Programme launched in 2018 and since then it has developed into a multi-annual call, involving companies, non-academic research institutions, 3rd level educational bodies, public sector, and semi-state bodies.

Details of energy research projects can be viewed on the National Energy Research Database.

About SEAI:

SEAI is Ireland’s national energy authority investing in, and delivering, appropriate, effective and sustainable solutions to help Ireland’s transition to a clean energy future. We work with Government, homeowners, businesses and communities to achieve this, through expertise, funding, educational programmes, policy advice, research and the development of new technologies.

SEAI is funded by the Government of Ireland through the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.

 

Press Contact:

Kayleigh Laffey
BlueWise Marine – Marketing Communications Specialist
[email protected]

Doing maritime ecological surveys with UAVs?

The U-AVES system has potential to reduce the number of site-based personnel, logistics, materials, CO2 emissions, weather downtime, costs and risk of accidents and could reach areas inaccessible by traditional methods.

We are delighted to announce the launch of the Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles for Ecology Surveys (U-AVES) project, a transformative collaboration between industry leaders and academia with the potential to revolutionise ecological surveys in Ireland through the use of Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

Funded by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) National Energy Research Development and Demonstration (RD&D) Funding Programme 2022, this innovative project was made possible through the partnership of A-techSYN, Atlantic Technological University, BlueWise Marine, and Energia Renewables.

Conventionally, ecological surveys require many experts, high mobilisation costs, time, and resources. They are typically conducted using boats or piloted aircraft, which are usually imported from elsewhere, with experts identifying birds in-situ or from digital imagery after the survey has been completed. The U-AVES system has potential to reduce the number of site-based personnel, logistics, materials, CO2 emissions, weather downtime, costs and risk of accidents and could reach areas inaccessible by traditional methods.

The U-AVES project will utilise cameras and sensors deployed on a long endurance VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) fixed wing UAV to capture imagery of seabirds and marine mammals in two Proof of Concept Flights in study areas yet to be defined. This project aims to optimise sensor selection, flight operations and aircraft controls, while also validating the technology’s efficacy in conducting large-range offshore ecological surveys.

Project partner, A-techSYN, are industry leaders in the use of UAVs for research, with particular expertise in the use of VTOL UAVs. This IAA-approved Irish company, based in Shannon Co. Clare are also a designer and developer of end-to-end solutions for UAV flight operations, who build and operate the UAV with in-house software and design. A-techSYN are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of technological advancement and delivering state-of-the-art solutions to meet the evolving needs of our modern world, having developed a cloud GCS programme that will revolutionise the way UAVs operate

A-techSYN CEO, Gökhan Çelik said: “As an Irish company providing end-to-end solutions into the Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) market, A-techSYN is proudly leading the way in innovation. We are very happy to use the immense know-how we accumulated over the last decade in this project to design, develop and prof-test commercially advantageous methods for offshore surveys to be completed. Beside the commercial advantage and health and safety risk mitigation, the solution developed will provide huge environmental benefits.

We are excited to apply our know-how of selecting and integrating state-of-the-art sensors, combining it with our capacity to increase flight performance based on real time sensor feedback in this project which at the end will enable Ireland to fast track the move to offshore renewables that is required to achieve Ireland’s climate goals.”

Researchers from Atlantic Technological University have first-hand experience with both in-situ and post-survey identification through imagery and are welcoming the innovative approach of the U-AVES project to reduce the grueling schedule of producing these surveys.

Dr. Ian O’Connor, Head of Department of Natural Resources and the Environment at ATU said: “The U-AVES project is another example of the close links between ATU and maritime industries. We are delighted to partner with BlueWise Marine, A-techSYN, and Energia Renewables in this research to enable regional and national objectives for the sustainable development of offshore renewable energy.”

In addition to the highly technological and academic aspects of the U-AVES project, industry experts BlueWise Marine aim to utilise their expertise in stakeholder engagement and promotion to define user requirements through engagement with industry and public sector stakeholders relevant to the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) industry ensure that the U-AVES solution meets the needs of this growing sector.

Puffins are Ireland’s iconic seabirds. Puffin is a highly marine species which is only found on land in the breeding season. Photo: Simon Berrow / ATU.

 

Louise O’Boyle, Director and Senior Project Manager at BlueWise Marine said: “Supporting innovation in the marine technology and offshore renewables sectors is at the core of what we do at BlueWise Marine. We see tremendous potential in this technology, not only for monitoring of birds and marine mammals, but for other offshore applications too. We are looking forward to engaging with industry stakeholders and our project partners to align the project with those requirements to improve quality and reduce risks and impacts of marine projects.”

BlueWise Marine will also assist A-techSYN and ATU in mapping the regulatory framework that is required to obtain permits for the proof-of-concept flights over Irish waters.

Findings from the project will be published to ORE stakeholders to assist in the future commercialisation of this service to the ORE industry. Direct collaboration with Energia Renewables, an energy utility and developer of offshore wind farms in Ireland, will allow the project to work closely with the project’s target market.

Offshore Environmental and Consents Manager at Energia Renewables, Dr. Caroline Roche said: “We are delighted to be the ORE industry partner supporting this innovative project. We look forward to working with ATU, A-techSYN, and BlueWise Marine, and seeing the results and how they might shape the future of ecological surveys and data acquisition for offshore windfarms. The collection of robust baseline data is critical for the development and consenting of offshore windfarms, which are essential to Ireland meeting our 2030 climate action plan targets.”

The U-AVES Project aims to promote an innovative, new approach to the use of VTOL UAV technology in environmental surveys, which is not only useful for the ORE industry, but to other sectors such as government agencies, researchers, and industry. It hopes to transform the future of ecological surveys.

Article from Bluewise Marine

Source: SEIA- U-AVES, Posted on: October 06, 2023,

Doing maritime ecological surveys with UAVs?

https://www.tyndall.ie/