DroneAI

FUNDING APPLICATION SUBMITTED · SOUTH-WEST OLTENIA REGIONAL PROGRAM

DroneAI, a rover that takes a drone into the forest

Illegal logging and wildfires happen where no one gets there in time. DroneAI sends an autonomous ground rover and a drone into the air, both electric, both unmanned.

Traditional forest monitoring depends on people, roads and vehicles with internal combustion engines. DroneAI changes the equation with an integrated system: a robust autonomous ground vehicle, with four-wheel drive, that patrols and transports a vertical take-off and landing drone, stored in a special compartment in the rover, where it recharges its batteries between missions. The rover covers the terrain, the drone covers what cannot be seen from the ground.

Artificial intelligence algorithms do the rest: autonomous route planning, obstacle avoidance, GPS-based navigation and real-time detection of illegal logging, early-stage fires and signs of vegetation stress. Both units are electrically powered and produce no direct emissions, which places the project directly in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal.

The project does not start from scratch. The core technology, an electric wheel with a motor integrated into the hub and built-in suspension, has already been validated at technology readiness level TRL 3, with an experimental model built and mounted on an L6E category electric vehicle, tested under real road conditions. The solutions behind the system are protected by patents and patent applications in the United States, China and Romania. Through the project, the integrated system is to be brought up to TRL 8, meaning a complete, qualified system ready for introduction into manufacturing.

Soft Tehnica participates in the development of the software component, software-hardware integration, and testing and validation of the system under real conditions. Field tests are carried out on the infrastructure made available by the Dolj County Council, the first identified beneficiary of the solution, while applicability extends to airport monitoring, critical infrastructure, precision agriculture and emergency interventions.

Expected results

• Functional rover and drone prototype, developed and validated under real conditions at TRL 8, ready for technology transfer.
• Complete technical documentation package and sustainable business model, prepared for pre-series production.
• Research infrastructure strengthened through the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment.
• New research jobs at the level of the supported entities.
• Transfer of know-how and technological skills to the companies directly involved in the project.