From land to the deep sea – INESC TEC technologies at the Sea fair
CARLoS, 3PORT, ICARUS AND TURTLE WERE AT THE SEA FAIR, BETWEEN 17 AND 19 NOVEMBER
A robot that operates in the naval industry, technology for managing ports more effectively, robots used in search and rescue missions, and an underwater robot for civil and military applications in the deep sea – CARLoS, 3PORT, ICARUS and TURTLE, respectively – were some of the technologies that INESC TEC showcased at the 5th edition of the Sea Fair (Fórum do Mar), which took place between 16 and 19 November at Exponor (Porto).
What is the Sea Fair?
The goal with the Sea Fair is to encourage connections between government authorities, companies, universities, R&D centres and associations working in different domains of the economy of the sea.
Some of the activities featured in the 5th edition of the Sea Fair included the presentation and showcase of products, services and technologies related to the sea. Moreover, the event also promoted a business meeting programme between national and foreign companies, R&D centres and maritime clusters from different European countries in order to promote the internationalisation of Portuguese products and services.
Besides participating in the different workshops taking place during the Fair, INESC TEC was represented in the technology exhibition by the following Centres: the Centre for Robotics and Intelligent Systems (CROB), the Centre for Telecommunications and Multimedia (CTM), the Centre for Applied Photonics (CAP), the Centre for Information Systems and Computer Graphics (CSIG), the Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence and Decision Support (LIAAD), the Centre for Industrial Engineering and Management (CEGI), and the High-Assurance Software Laboratory (HASLab).
From land to the deep sea
From technologies operating on land to technology used in the deep sea, INESC TEC has been playing a pivotal role in developing different solutions that cover the value chain and the technology needs at sea, the largest natural resource in Portugal.
The visitors of the Sea Fair and the participants in the Atlantic Conference had the opportunity to get to know some of the projects INESC TEC has been developing for the sea, an area that has been playing a fundamental role at the institution since 2014, the time when INESC TEC became the leader of the TEC4SEA, a pioneer laboratory in Europe that makes it possible to test technology for the sea in a real environment.
What is the purpose of the INESC TEC technologies showcased at the Fair?
1) CARLoS – a robot used in the naval industry
CARLoS (CooperAtive Robot for Large Spaces Manufacturing) is the name of a project funded by the EU Seventh Framework-Programme as part of the Research for SMEs programme. The goal with this project was to develop a robot that can be used in the naval industry, with features such as: great mobility inside ship compartments, semiautonomous ability to make decisions in certain tasks, capacity to weld rivets automatically, programming based on competences, among others.
CARLoS applies the most recent advances in mobile cooperative robotics in the naval industry, now being licensed by the companies involved.
Coordinated by the Aimen Technology Centre, the project features as partners the Aalborg Universitet, Robotnik, C.A.T. progetti, Deltamatic and Astilleros Jose Valiña, which hired INESC TEC to develop this robot.
The total project funding was over €1M.
2) 3Port – a project that places Portuguese ports at the forefront in technological innovation worldwide
In September 2015, the Ports of Leixões and Viana do Castelo, managed by the Port Authority of the Douro, Leixões and Viana od Castelo Ports (APDL), started using the 3Port tool, which makes it possible not only to manage the different needs and business processes of ports in an integrated way, but also to interact with the general public that can see, in real time, what is happening in the port.
The 3Port is based on eight modules, seven of which are used by the port – hydrography (dredging and navigable areas), port traffic, domain (licenses and concessions), studies and construction work, prevention and security, environment, and registration and assets –, and one is used by the public. Some of the advantages of the 3Port include decision-making support, efficiency gains and a reduction of operational costs, which combined promote a sustainable growth.
INESC TEC worked on this project together with TRIEDE TTI and APDL.
3) ICARUS – robots capable of supporting search and rescue operations in the event of great catastrophes
European project ICARUS (Integrated Components for Assisted Rescue and Unmanned Search Operations) has led to the development of robots capable of supporting search and rescue operations in the event of large catastrophes.
The goal with this project was to develop tools to aid search and rescue teams both on land and at sea. These robots are innovative because they can be used in crisis scenarios. INESC TEC was responsible for developing the maritime safety scenario, and the robots can be used in natural disasters.
With a budget of 17 million euros and coordinated by the Belgian Military Academy, the Consortium features 24 partners from nine European countries – Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Poland and Austria.
4) TURTLE – the first underwater robotic platform for the deep sea in Portugal
The first underwater robotic platform for the deep sea in Portugal is called TURTLE. Weighing around 1,300 kilos and the size of a small car, the robotic platform can be applied in the civil and defence markets - civil because this platform can carry different sensors, such as acoustic, optical, geomagnetic and biological sensors, and defence because the platform can autonomously stay at sea for weeks, warning authorities of the presence of intruders in Portuguese waters.
The prototype, which was showcased at the Sea Fair, has already been tested numerous times with the Portuguese Navy, and can be controlled at a maximum distance of eight kilometres by a laptop capable of reading sonic waves. The prototype is prepared to descend to a depth of a thousand metres.
Approved by the EDA (European Defence Agency) and coordinated by the company A. Silva Matos, the TURTLE features INESC TEC, the Portuguese Navy, CINAV and Ply as partners.
Secretary of State for the Sea visits INESC TEC’s booth
Several important people visited INESC TEC’s booth, including Pedro do Ó, at the time Secretary of State for the Sea. At the Fair, visitors had the opportunity to contact with the technologies showcased.
INESC TEC promotes collaboration opportunities through the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN)
The Enterprise Europe Network was represented at the Sea Forum with a space to hold meetings, to present the Network’s services and to identify collaboration opportunities with participating companies.
The Network was represented by INESC TEC – through its Centre for Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship –, ANI and AEP, one of the main organisers of the event.
INESC TEC researchers speak at the Portugal Atlantic Conference
The opening session of the Sea Fair and the Portugal Atlantic Conference took place on 16 November 2015, at the Porto de Leixões Cruise Terminal (Matosinhos, Portugal).
Two INESC TEC researchers spoke at the Portugal Atlantic Conference, where the theme was “potential for growth and internationalisation in the economy of the sea”. On 17 November, Rui Campos, researcher at INESC TEC’s Centre for Telecommunications and Multimedia (CTM) presented the project BLUECOM+ - Connecting Human and Systems at Remote Ocean Areas using Cost-effective Broadband Communications, as part of panel 1, which featured projects for an integrated management of marine and coastal waters, promoted by the EEA Grants.
On 18 November it was the turn of Eduardo Silva, coordinator of the Centre for Robotics and Intelligent Systems (CROB), who did a presentation on the opportunity to explore the deep sea, mining, and project TURTLE.
“The Challenges of the Sea 2020 – from idea to project”
The session “The Challenges of the Sea 2020 – from idea to project” took place on 19 November, and was organised by the Fórum Oceano. The session was opened by Augustin Olivier, coordinator of the Centre for Telecommunications and Multimedia (CTM). INESC TEC was represented in three themes – Fisheries, Ports and Maritime Transportation, and Energy. The first two were moderated by INESC TEC researchers Carlos Pinho and José Nina de Andrade, respectively.
The closing sessions of the Portugal Atlantic Conference and the Sea Fair took place on 19 November, respectively.
The INESC TEC researchers mentioned in this news piece area associated with FEUP and ISEP.
