Autonomous Robots and Innovative Technologies from Gdańsk Tech at the Port of Gdańsk and the Airport Port
Gdańsk Tech has signed additional cooperation agreements as part of the international InSecTT project. Thanks to the agreement with the Port of Gdańsk and the Lech Wałęsa Gdańsk Airport, proprietary technologies developed by Gdańsk Tech researchers, including innovative Internet of Things systems supported by artificial intelligence algorithms, will be implemented with both partners. The cooperation will enable improved safety, cost reduction, and support for the operational efficiency of both ports.
Gdańsk Tech has signed additional cooperation agreements as part of the international InSecTT project. Thanks to the agreement with the Port of Gdańsk and the Lech Wałęsa Gdańsk Airport, proprietary technologies developed by Gdańsk Tech researchers, including innovative Internet of Things systems supported by artificial intelligence algorithms, will be implemented with both partners. The cooperation will enable improved safety, cost reduction, and support for the operational efficiency of both ports.
The InSecTT* project (Intelligent Secure Trustable Things), with a total value of approximately 44 million euros, is an international research initiative based on the Horizon 2020 program. It includes the most prominent companies and scientific institutions from across Europe that develop secure IoT (Internet of Things) systems supported by artificial intelligence solutions.
Gdańsk Tech is one of the leaders in the implementation area of this project, as well as a supplier of components and proprietary technological solutions. Earlier, in early July, researchers from the Department of Microwave Engineering and Antennas (Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics at Gdańsk Tech) and the faculty authorities signed a cooperation agreement for this project with the Maritime Office in Gdynia. Now, the group of partners has expanded to include: Lech Wałęsa Airport in Gdańsk and the Port of Gdańsk, with agreements signed on August 12 and 13, 2020, respectively.
Security and response time are crucial
At the Gdańsk airport, as at every airport worldwide, unusual and unexpected situations often occur, and the response to them is critical for the proper functioning of the port. It is precisely in this area that the Gdańsk airport will be supported by technologies and scientists from Gdańsk Tech.
– One of the solutions we proposed are small, autonomous inspection robots equipped with appropriate sensors, lidars, radars, visual cameras, and infrared cameras, which will be able to provide many additional pieces of information to the airport staff – says Mateusz Rzymowski, an employee of the Department of Microwave Engineering and Antennas at the Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics at Gdańsk Tech, responsible for coordinating technical tasks in the project. – Thanks to this, the people responsible for maintaining security at the airport will be able to instantly learn about any detected anomalies, such as damaged fencing or the intrusion of an unauthorized person onto airport grounds.
– By establishing cooperation and implementing new solutions prepared by Gdańsk Tech, we will strengthen control over the airport space and improve the operation of elements of its infrastructure – adds Tomasz Kloskowski, President of Lech Wałęsa Airport in Gdańsk. – Easier access to new technologies will be significant for the long-term and sustainable development of the airport.
Towards improving efficiency
The Port of Gdańsk, one of the key ports on the Baltic Sea, also advanced to the top twenty European ports in August 2020. The solutions proposed by Gdańsk Tech align with current trends in building advantages in port areas through the application of digital technologies.
– The energy-efficient sensor systems and tags for IoT solutions that we develop can be installed in various places within the port infrastructure. They will provide enormous amounts of data, which will be analyzed, among others, using artificial intelligence algorithms – says Łukasz Szczygielski, an employee of the Department of Microwave Engineering and Antennas (Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics at Gdańsk Tech) and coordinator of implementation work at the Gdańsk port within the InSecTT project. – Additionally, the use of reconfigurable antennas developed by our team will allow for the positioning of sensors and tags without using the GPS system, which will reduce costs of future implementations and simultaneously additionally secure the system against potential cyberattacks – he adds.
The authorities of the Gdańsk port also welcome the cooperation with Gdańsk Tech and the transfer of technology and competencies of its scientists.
– Through analyzing data collected by devices from Gdańsk Tech and multi-level analytical reports built by Gdańsk Tech researchers based on that data, we will be able to better manage our assets – says Sławomir Michalewski, Vice President of the Port of Gdańsk Management Board. – Optimizing the use and method of operation of machinery and equipment involved in cargo handling ultimately translates into increasing attractiveness and market competitiveness of entities performing such operations. Aspects related to safety, insurance costs, and benefits arising from predicting and preventing equipment failures should not be neglected either.
Earlier, in the first half of July, researchers from Gdańsk Tech signed a similar cooperation agreement within the InSecTT project with the Maritime Office in Gdynia.
*Gdańsk Tech is a leader in one of the key areas of implementations within the InSecTT program, an important supplier of radio and antenna components for wireless embedded systems enhanced by artificial intelligence, as well as an initiator of activities aimed at involving students, young scientists, and Polish companies in cooperation within the project.