An Innovative Monitoring System Based on UAV and Auto-Remote Surface Vessel

Abstract

Given the pressing demand for comprehensive environmental monitoring, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones have been extensively applied in environmental monitoring studies to address data collection and operations management thanks to their operational flexibility and low cost. The objective of the project MARIN is to set-up and test at sea a technological demonstrator of the enabling technologies for autonomous navigation. Integrating the UAVs with their video-analysis systems can enhance the role of the naval unit as an extended robotic platform that can enlarge the range and the operational capability of the unit itself. The goal of this study is to demonstrate the technological feasibility of an unmanned system for environmental monitoring and to develop an integrated unmanned system for the collection and analysis of environmental data for remote management using UAVs. This paper summarizes the work's progress and technical innovations, highlighting the significant technical challenges that the project has overcome. The validation of the system, carried out with in situ tests, confirmed its effectiveness and flexibility in various environmental scenarios and opens up new possibilities for environmental monitoring and sustainable management of natural resources, demonstrating the importance of technological innovation in this crucial sector and others.