SARA · Project

Ship-Launched Drone System That Finds People Lost at Sea in Darkness

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Imagine a drone that lives in a box on top of a ship and can launch automatically when someone is lost at sea — even at night. It flies up on a cable like a kite, using thermal cameras to spot body heat in the water, and Galileo satellite signals to know exactly where it is relative to the ship. The Italian Coast Guard asked for this because finding small boats full of migrants in the dark Mediterranean is incredibly hard from deck level. SARA built the hardware, the software, and the satellite positioning to make it work as a semi-automatic system.

By the numbers

consortium partners

countries involved

total project deliverables

demo hardware modules delivered (RPAS+hangar and GCP+GMP)

high-accuracy EGNSS receivers per unit (on both RPAS and hangar)

62%

industry partner ratio in consortium

SMEs in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Finding people lost at sea — especially at night — is extremely difficult from ship deck level. Small boats and individuals in the water are nearly invisible in darkness or rough conditions, and conventional lookout methods cover too little area too slowly. Coast guards and maritime rescue services need an elevated, automated detection system that can deploy directly from their vessels without depending on shore-based infrastructure or separate aircraft availability.

The solution

What was built

SARA delivered two main hardware modules: a Core Common Module consisting of a tethered RPAS (drone) with a ship-mounted hangar, and a SARA module with ground control and ground monitoring capabilities. The drone carries thermal and visual cameras, processes images in real time onboard, and uses 2 Galileo satellite receivers for precise positioning relative to the ship. The system also includes an Earth Observation component for preliminary trajectory detection of suspect vessels.

Audience

Who needs this

Coast guard agencies conducting search and rescue at seaBorder security agencies monitoring maritime migration routesNavy and defense contractors needing ship-deployed surveillance dronesOffshore energy operators requiring man-overboard detection and asset inspectionMaritime insurance companies evaluating vessel safety technology

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Maritime Safety & Coast Guard Operations

enterprise

Target: Coast guard agencies and maritime rescue coordination centers

If you are a coast guard or maritime rescue authority dealing with the challenge of locating people in distress at sea during nighttime — this project developed a tethered RPAS with thermal and visual cameras that launches from a ship-mounted hangar and uses high-accuracy Galileo positioning. The system was specifically requested by the Italian Coast Guard and engineered across 8 partners in 5 countries to work semi-automatically in real operational conditions.

Border Security & Maritime Surveillance

enterprise

Target: National border agencies and maritime security contractors

If you are a border security agency or defense contractor struggling to monitor large sea areas for unauthorized crossings — this project built a surveillance system combining Earth Observation data for trajectory detection with a ship-deployed drone carrying thermal infrared sensors. The tethered flight design means continuous power and data via cable, eliminating battery limitations that plague conventional maritime drones.

Offshore Energy & Industrial Maritime

mid-size

Target: Offshore wind farm operators and oil platform safety teams

If you are an offshore operator needing to inspect assets or respond to man-overboard emergencies far from shore — this project delivered a deployable RPAS system with a dedicated hangar that integrates directly into ship architecture. The 2 high-accuracy EGNSS receivers provide precise relative positioning between drone and vessel, which is critical for safe tethered operations in rough sea conditions.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would a system like this cost to deploy on our vessels?

The project data does not include pricing information. However, the system involves dedicated hardware (RPAS, hangar, EGNSS receivers, VIS-TIR sensors, onboard computer) that remains the property of consortium partners TOPVIEW and SISTEMATICA. Contact the coordinator for commercial licensing or purchase terms.

Can this scale to a fleet of vessels or is it a one-off prototype?

SARA was designed as an Innovation Action specifically to 'engineer and start to commercialise' a solution based on an existing prototype. The modular design — Core Common Module (RPAS + hangar) plus SARA module (GCP + GMP) — suggests it was built for repeatable deployment across multiple vessels. The consortium includes 5 industry partners to support production scaling.

Who owns the intellectual property and how is it licensed?

The deliverable descriptions explicitly state that the Core Common Module hardware and software remain the property of TOPVIEW, while the SARA module hardware and software remain the property of SISTEMATICA SPA. Any licensing or procurement would need to go through these two Italian companies.

Has this been tested in real maritime conditions?

The system was developed in direct response to a request from the Italian Coast Guard made approximately two years before the project started. As an Innovation Action (IA) with 28 deliverables including 2 demo modules of actual hardware, the project moved well beyond lab testing. Based on available project data, the tethered RPAS and hangar were built as deployable units.

How does this integrate with existing ship systems?

The RPAS hangar is designed to mount on top of a ship and integrates into the vessel's architecture. The tethered cable provides both physical connection and data/power link. The onboard computer processes captured images in real time, providing distance and bearing from ship to detected targets.

What regulations apply to operating tethered drones from ships?

The project specifically uses tethered flight (cable-connected to the ship) which typically falls under different regulatory categories than free-flying drones. The use of Galileo EGNSS ensures compliance with European satellite navigation standards. Based on available project data, specific maritime aviation regulatory clearances would depend on the operating country.

Does this work at night and in poor visibility?

Yes — nighttime operation was a core design requirement. The Italian Coast Guard specifically needed detection capability 'during the hours of darkness.' The system uses a VIS-TIR sensor combining visual spectrum with thermal infrared, which detects body heat regardless of lighting conditions.

Consortium

Who built it

The SARA consortium is strongly industry-driven: 5 out of 8 partners (62%) are industrial players, including 3 SMEs, with only 3 universities providing academic support. The coordinator SISTEMATICA SPA is an Italian SME that retains IP over the core SARA module, while partner TOPVIEW owns the RPAS and hangar hardware. With partners across 5 countries (Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Poland), the consortium covers key European maritime nations. The fact that the Italian Coast Guard initiated contact with this industrial group before the project even started signals genuine operational demand rather than a research exercise looking for a problem to solve.

SISTEMATICA SPACoordinator · IT
AARHUS UNIVERSITETparticipant · DK
TOPVIEW SRLparticipant · IT
BUSINESS INTEGRATION PARTNERS BELGIUMparticipant · BE
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI FIRENZEparticipant · IT
BUSINESS INTEGRATION PARTNERS SPAthirdparty · IT
POLITECHNIKA MORSKA W SZCZECINIEparticipant · PL

How to reach the team

SISTEMATICA SPA is an Italian SME that coordinated the project and owns the SARA module IP. They are the primary commercial contact point.

Order a report on this consortium See SISTEMATICA SPA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

SciTransfer can connect you directly with the SARA team to discuss deployment, licensing, or adaptation of this maritime drone system for your specific operational needs.

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