This project aims to develop, test and evaluate tools and technologies to provide groups (swarms) of heterogeneous unmanned maritime vehicles of Network Enabled Capability (NEC). In this concept, vehicles and operators come and go and interact through inter-operated communication networks, and possibly intermittent, in scenarios where synergies are established that allow the group to do more than the sum of its parts. The project addresses these challenges through a multi-disciplinary approach that relies on advances in:
- Dynamic networks of computer components;
- Design of control architectures for distributed semi-autonomous agents teams;
- Involvement of specialized human operators in the rings of planning and control;
- Fault tolerance;
- Communication networks tolerant connectivity interruptions. It is the project coordinator.
The European Defence Agency project led by the Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto.
Partners: Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (leader), Administration of Douro and Leixões Ports, Portuguese Navy and Marine Oceanscan Systems and Technology of Portugal; Calzoni S.R.L. Italy; Complutense University of Madrid in Spain; Royal Military Academy of Belgium; and TNO in the Netherlands.