The ITG Technology Centre, a partner in the U-ELCOME project, has demonstrated the use of an autonomous drone station at the Port of A Coruña, Spain. ITG’s airspace integration platforms DroneSuite®️ and Daliah were put into practice in collaboration with the Red Cross Maritime Rescue and drone operator companies such as Aeromedia, Aerocámaras and Nordés Tech.
By 2026, the city of Coruña is planning to deploy U-Space zones that meet regulatory requirements and install the technology necessary for a large number of drone operators to fly simultaneously.
The event at the port included practical demonstrations for six use cases, which form part of the list of twenty cases already identified and analysed during previous work in recent months. In one such case, an autonomous drone simulated a routine surveillance operation in which a person who had fallen into the sea was detected and various drone operations associated with their rescue were activated. DroneFinder technology enabled the exact coordinates to be sent so that another drone could launch a float to the person in distress while a maritime drone brought the victim to the dock. There were also demonstrations of crane, perimeter and breakwater inspection, port logistics, non-collaborative drone detection and how ITG technology works to obtain authorisations.
The event was attended by representatives of the public entities INECO, ENAIRE, SENASA, the Coastguard Service or the Military Emergency Unit, and companies such as Telefónica and MGS, among others.
The ITG Technology Centre recently reached an agreement with the Port Authority of A Coruña to deploy the first autonomous drone station in the Outer Port, a robotised hangar called DroneSafeBox®️ that will allow the management of operations such as the control of goods, the use of spaces, loading and unloading operations or surveillance, and even the transport of objects. This ‘nest’ for drones will enable the technology to be integrated into the port’s processes with a view to its future commercial exploitation. The operations of the station in Langosteira will be planned and programmed from GalaxyLab, ITG’s control centre located in a separate building in Cidade das TIC.
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