The EU-funded SUNRISE project, now halfway through its operation, is introducing new drone technology with tremendous potential to save lives and improve the safety of critical infrastructure. The aim of the project is to ensure greater availability, reliability and continuity of operation of this infrastructure throughout Europe. The project focuses on the development of advanced solutions to protect human, physical and digital resources during pandemics and other major risks. The innovative technology of unmanned aerial vehicles brings new possibilities for inspection and maintenance of critical infrastructure without the need for the physical presence of personnel, which significantly improves the safety and efficiency of processes.

Pilot implementation in three European countries

In the months of June and July 2024, the SUNRISE project successfully carried out pilot remote inspections of physical infrastructure in cooperation with selected managers of critical infrastructure in Spain, Italy and Slovenia. This pioneering approach enables inspections without the physical presence of workers in the field, improving the safety and efficiency of inspections.

Remote infrastructure inspection technology

This innovative technology aims to provide a continuous and efficient inspection of the infrastructure using satellite imagery, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and machine learning methods to detect potential anomalies. This allows problems to be detected and fixed quickly, enabling the reliable operation of the infrastructure without the need for the physical presence of personnel.

Cooperation with key partners

The pilot work started in Slovenia in cooperation with the electric power company ELES and Slovenski železnice, continued in Italy with the company Hydro Dolomiti Energia (HDE), and ended in Spain with the water company ACOSOL. The technology has proven to be extremely useful in inspecting transport, water and energy infrastructure.

Jakob Klofutar from Slovenske železnik emphasized the importance of this tool:

"For us at Slovenske železnice, it is always interesting to try new solutions and approaches when inspecting critical infrastructure. We currently inspect the infrastructure mainly manually, which can be dangerous, especially in hard-to-reach areas. New technology enables safer and faster inspections, which saves time and improves security."

A vision for the future

Aljoša Pašić, coordinator of the SUNRISE project, highlighted the importance of pilot implementations in a real environment:

"The SUNRISE toolkit pilot is a key milestone in the project. Working with critical infrastructure managers across Europe and taking their feedback into account is extremely valuable for further development. Our goal is to improve the efficiency and reliability of infrastructure inspections and ensure the safety and continuity of critical infrastructure."

The SUNRISE project continues to develop and deploy innovative solutions to improve the resilience of critical infrastructure in Europe. For more information about the SUNRISE project, visit: https://sunrise-europe.eu.

You can read more about the tools that are being developed as part of the SUNRISE project in the attachment below. There are also some pictures and video content available in the attachment.