The Virginia Institute for Space Flight & Autonomy (VISA) and the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) recognized the growing imperative for advanced technological solutions in port security and emergency response. Eager to explore the potential of Unmanned Systems (UxS) in improving situational awareness, response times, and overall efficiency during emergencies, they engaged ANRA Technologies to lead an innovative project focused on the integration of Air, Sea, and Land UxS for Port Security and Emergency Response (PS&ER). The principal objectives and innovations of this endeavor include:
- Enhancing port security and emergency response capabilities.
- Creating an integrated and distributed common operating picture (COP) for PS&ER missions.
- Harnessing the power of UxS technology across Air, Sea, and Land domains to elevate situational awareness.
ANRA Technologies presented a pioneering solution, incorporating a UxS Port Mission Manager empowered by the SAFEport software platform. This platform served as the linchpin for connecting UxS resources across Port Security and Emergency Response missions, delivering a unified, seamless, and distributed common operating picture.
SAFEport Software Platform: ANRA’s SAFEport software served as the cornerstone of the project, serving as a UxS Traffic Management (UTM) platform developed through rigorous research and validation by NASA and the FAA. This modular, standards-based platform laid the groundwork for the project’s success.
Air, Sea, and Land Integration: The project’s solution seamlessly integrated UxS capabilities across Air, Sea, and Land domains, creating a comprehensive, 4D (time/space) common operating picture.
Real-time Data Transmission: Users had the capability to connect to their UxS resources through SAFEport, facilitating manual or autonomous operations while enabling real-time transmission of live video (RGB, IR) and serial data across the network.
Independent and Collaborative Operations: UxS resources could operate independently, collaboratively, and concurrently, thanks to the flexibility offered by the SAFEport software.
Partnership Expertise: The project harnessed the expertise of ANRA Technologies, TRIAD Drones, and AIRT, with each partner contributing software, operators, hardware, advocacy, and workshop support.