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Coastal crime is on the increase and often goes undetected by traditional border-surveillance methods, but technology developed by EU-funded researchers goes beyond the capabilities of conventional coastal radar.
The SAFESHORE system was developed to match fast-evolving drone technology, often used by criminals because of the low cost and small size. Drones are too small to be detected by regular radar, which is where SAFESHORE comes in – it can even detect small objects such as human beings and low-altitude guided parachutes.
‘Although the main emphasis of the project has been to develop a prototype, the system will be marketed as a whole, as well as split into individual components,’ says project coordinator Geert De Cubber of Belgium’s Royal Military Academy. ‘Everything – the whole system or its components – can be integrated into already existing surveillance systems.’
Threat detection across borders
The SAFESHORE system covers existing gaps in coastal-border surveillance by creating a continuous detection line along any seafront by using overlapping mobile platforms. Based on 3D-LIDAR – an innovative new device integrated with passive acoustic and radio sensors and video analytics – each platform creates a dome-shaped virtual protective shield with a radius of about 250-300 m above the designated surveillance area. Multiple platforms overlap by about 50 m, and any attempt to penetrate their virtual shields will activate an intruder-detection alarm in the system’s main control room.
These platforms can detect low-altitude unmanned aerial systems and remotely piloted aircraft systems, which are a growing threat to maritime coastal security as they can carry explosives and are also used to smuggle drugs and people ashore.
The well-equipped and mobile platforms are likely to feature in future coastal-surveillance systems. The system’s ability to scan the shoreline more closely and detect threats is the subject of widespread interest among crime-prevention professionals in Europe and beyond who want to increase border security and prevent cross-border crime. It can be deployed either stationary or mobile.
As well as improving security, SAFESHORE uses state-of-the-art environmentally sustainable and low-cost, low-energy technology, with solar-based battery charging and no need for a special cooling system.
International collaboration
As well as fostering an international collaborative approach towards border policing through cooperation with end-users – including border police, guards and protection agencies – the project has given young researchers an opportunity to train on the job through workshops and a competition that challenges participants to find technical solutions relevant to the SAFESHORE system. Feedback from end-users has helped to shape developments within the system.
The SAFESHORE consortium is made up of a team from research centres, universities, SMEs, end-users and industrial partners providing complementary knowledge and skills from seven countries.