Unplugged

As the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) urges coastal communities to remain vigilant for suspicious activity and raises concerns about activity around ports, coastal infrastructure and other critical assets, companies in Ocean Autonomy Cluster and NORDSEC – Nordic Defence and Security Cluster are developing autonomous technologies designed to strengthen surveillance and situational awareness in some of Norway's most strategically important maritime areas. Through the Port Security Project, autonomous systems are now being tested to detect, analyse and respond to anomalies above and below the water surface. The warning from PST has once again highlighted a fundamental challenge for Norway: safeguarding thousands of kilometres of coastline, ports, subsea infrastructure and maritime installations spread across vast and often sparsely populated areas. Maintaining continuous situational awareness across such large areas is difficult using conventional resources alone. Frode Halvorsen, Cluster Manager, Ocean Autonomy Cluster and Tore Norheim Hagtun, CEO and Co-founder, Clarify. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri That challenge is at the heart of the Port Security Project, where technology companies from Central Norway are developing autonomous capabilities designed to provide persistent monitoring of ports and critical infrastructure. By combining autonomous vessels, underwater drones, advanced sensors and data analytics, the project aims to improve the ability to detect suspicious activity early and verify incidents quickly. The Port Security Project is an innovation initiative carried out in collaboration with the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), bringing together industry partners to develop and test autonomous technologies for the protection of ports and critical infrastructure. We continue to see new signals and reports of unwanted activity around ports, critical infrastructure and coastal areas. Particularly in locations with limited personnel and large geographic areas, there is a need for solutions that can provide continuous situational awareness and rapid detection when something deviates from normal activity. Frode Halvorsen, Cluster Manager, Ocean Autonomy Cluster Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri Bringing together technologies above and below the surface The Port Security Project brings together Maritime Robotics, Eelume, Blueye Robotics, Biodrone, Unplugged and Clarify. The objective is to integrate autonomous surface vessels, underwater drones, sensors and analytics tools into a unified solution for monitoring and protecting ports and other critical infrastructure. The solution combines autonomous surface vessels, underwater drones, cameras, radars and other sensors within a common ecosystem. Data from the different platforms is continuously analysed to establish a baseline of normal activity in the monitored area. When the system identifies an anomaly, autonomous assets can be deployed automatically to investigate further. Sensor and camera data from the various platforms are collected and processed through a common framework. Biodrone contributes capabilities for visual data processing, while Clarify provides analysis of sensor and time-series data. Together, these inputs create a consolidated operational picture that can identify deviations and support follow-up actions. The challenge is not a lack of data. The challenge is turning large volumes of sensor data into actionable decision support. By combining information from multiple sources, operators can detect anomalies earlier and gain a clearer understanding of what is happening. - Tore Norheim Hagtun, CEO and Co-founder, Clarify Tore Norheim Hagtun, CEO and Co-founder, Clarify. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri Designed to detect anomalies automatically The project's goal is to develop a capability that continuously monitors activity in and around port areas and reacts when something deviates from normal patterns. If a vessel enters a restricted area, behaves unexpectedly, or triggers predefined alert thresholds, autonomous surface and subsea systems can be dispatched automatically to investigate and verify the situation. Instead of relying solely on personnel to observe and assess events, the system is designed to provide rapid autonomous detection and verification. The project is now entering a phase of testing and validation. Individual components will first be tested separately before being integrated into larger system demonstrations. The aim is to demonstrate that autonomous systems can detect anomalies and initiate the appropriate response with minimal human involvement. Demonstrations involving external operators are also planned to validate the maturity of the technology and its operational value. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri Building a situational picture across multiple domains The Port Security Project is also linked to broader initiatives focused on monitoring critical infrastructure. Sensors on land, at sea, underwater and in the air are combined to create a more comprehensive situational picture. The demonstrations also incorporate technology for monitoring subsea cables, sonar systems, sensors and buoys. The ambition is to establish multiple layers of surveillance around critical assets. While the port security solution focuses on the immediate vicinity of protected infrastructure, complementary systems can contribute to monitoring larger maritime areas and key approaches to ports. A key objective is to create a unified operational picture covering land, sea surface, subsea and air domains. This enables operators to identify incidents more quickly and make better-informed decisions when anomalies occur. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri Developing a mobile control centre for autonomous systems As part of the initiative, the partners have also developed a mobile control centre that can be deployed wherever surveillance and control of unmanned systems are required across multiple domains. Built inside a container, the solution enables operational capability to be established close to the area being monitored. Such a facility is commonly referred to as a ROC (Remote Operations Center) and serves as a hub for the remote operation, monitoring and coordination of autonomous and unmanned systems. Operators can monitor sensor data in real time and control vessels, underwater drones and other platforms from a single location. The control centre makes it possible to coordinate autonomous vessels, underwater drones and other unmanned platforms through a single operational interface. The concept has already attracted national and international interest, and the partners are now exploring further development of the capability. Eelume S3. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri Responding to a growing security challenge Recent warnings from PST have reinforced concerns about the security of ports, coastal infrastructure, subsea cables and other strategic assets. Many of these locations are remote, difficult to monitor continuously and increasingly important to both civilian society and national security. For the companies involved, the Port Security Project is about turning emerging autonomous technologies into practical tools that can strengthen maritime security. Rather than replacing human operators, the systems are intended to provide persistent monitoring, faster anomaly detection and better decision support. Eirik Hovstein, Vice President Defence & Security at Maritime Robotics. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens industri. Developed in collaboration with the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), the project provides a framework for testing how autonomous surface vessels, underwater drones, sensors and advanced analytics can work together to improve the protection of critical infrastructure. Norway has the technology companies, the maritime expertise and the operational need in the same place. Projects like this show how quickly we can move from a security challenge to a working solution when industry, clusters and end users collaborate. - Eirik Hovstein, Vice President Defence & Security at Maritime Robotics If successful, the project could provide both civilian and military operators with new tools to monitor, understand and protect key areas of the Norwegian coastline through the coordinated use of autonomous surface vessels, underwater drones, sensors and advanced analytics systems. As authorities call for greater vigilance along the coast, initiatives such as the Port Security Project demonstrate how Norwegian technology companies are working to translate that need into operational capability. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens industri

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