The public company of the Government of Navarra and the Public University of Navarra are working on an algorithm capable of rapidly processing airborne LiDAR point clouds over forested border areas, in order to detect hidden objects such as vehicles or shelters and thereby improve security at the European level.
The initiative is part of the Frontex Research Programme Grants, which funds small-scale innovation projects aimed at strengthening border management capabilities across the European Union. Within this framework, the project seeks to advance cutting-edge technological solutions in strategic areas such as the detection of illegal crossings through multi-sensor systems, multisensor and multiplatform surveillance networks, and the automated fusion of data from multiple sources.
Specifically, the project uses data collected by LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors installed on aircraft, which generate point clouds over forested border areas. Based on this information, the algorithm under development is able to identify objects hidden beneath vegetation —such as vehicles or shelters— that are of interest for border surveillance tasks.
Daniel Goñi, Managing Director of Tracasa Instrumental, highlighted the importance of this collaboration with UPNA and Frontex, stressing that it “showcases our company’s knowledge and experience in remote sensing and artificial intelligence, and strengthens Navarra’s role as a technological partner in projects of European relevance.”
With this initiative, the region once again positions itself on the map of innovation applied to security and border management, contributing solutions that foster both technological competitiveness and stronger international cooperation.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ICT SECTOR IN NAVARRA
As reflected in our “Strategic Sectors” section, Navarra’s ICT sector comprises nearly 200 companies, employing 3,500 people and generating around €280 million in revenue, thanks to a constant search for innovation. Among its activities, the automation of production processes stands out, followed by cybersecurity and the management of infrastructures and systems.
Despite being a relatively young sector, since most of the companies within it were established in the last 20 years, it has seen significant growth due to the sophisticated demand from local and multinational companies in the renewable energy, healthcare, food, automotive, and public sectors of our region. The ICT sector has played a vital role in the development of Smart Grids for renewable energy and sensor networks for AgroTech and E-health applications. More information at the following link.
Source: Diario de Navarra