ESA title

ASBCIMS

  • ACTIVITYFeasibility Study
  • STATUSCompleted
  • THEMATIC AREAInfrastructure & Smart Cities, Transport & Logistics, Safety & Security, Energy, Maritime and Aquatic

Objectives of the service

Image credit: SuperVision Earth GmbH

The starting point for the study was the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which seriously threatens lives and the well-being of many inhabitants in the region. It also addresses the broader challenges faced in other conflict-affected and disaster-prone areas worldwide, where similar risks to infrastructure and human safety exist. The serious damage to critical infrastructure in Ukraine highlights the urgent need for innovative and reliable monitoring solutions that effectively support critical infrastructure operators and government agencies.

The lack of reliable information creates major challenges for customers in need. Assets in occupied territories are inaccessible through conventional means, and even in unoccupied regions, the risk persists due to potential damage and ongoing threats.

SuperVision Earth is well-suited to address these issues and has established connections and expertise in Ukrainian and Eastern European markets. We possess extensive experience in threat detection, change detection. Our AI-powered pipeline monitoring software, operational since 2021, continuously evolves to meet client needs

 

Users and their needs

The key customer segments targeted by the monitoring system were companies and organizations directly impacted by humanitarian crises or providing support: 

  • Critical infrastructure operators (private and public).

  • Government bodies and state-owned companies.

  • Organizations and institutions seeking information on critical infrastructure.

Among core needs of the customers were:

  • Detecting and assessing changes and damages in complex and high-risk environments, including conflict zones, occupied/inaccessible territories, and no-flight zones.

  • Rapid civilian response after military action or natural disasters.

  • Safety for staff and transport/equipment during monitoring.

  • Cost-effective monitoring.

  • Quick monitoring of large territories.

  • High-frequency monitoring option.

  • Preliminary assessment of area safety. 

The potential customer organisations involved into this feasibility study were companies located in Ukraine.

Service/ system concept

SuperVision Infrastructure utilised advanced AI, satellite earth observation methods for comprehensive monitoring of civilian critical infrastructure around the world. This study focused on Ukraine and addressed the urgent need for infrastructure monitoring and risk assessment for the region's vulnerable critical infrastructure. The automated software solution integrated the analysis of optical and radar data into an intuitive web GIS platform, enabling precise change detection, object identification and risk assessment. By providing near-real-time, high-resolution insights, SuperVision Infrastructure improved safety and operational efficiency in challenging environments such as war zones and disaster areas.

Space Added Value

SuperVision Infrastructure’s technology incorporated space assets, utilizing optic and SAR satellite imagery as a vital data source for the monitoring system. By analyzing the captured images, automated monitoring system’s operators gained valuable insights into detected events, including changes and the presence of unknown or unidentified objects in near-real-time mode.

The integration of satellite remote sensing data enabled to achieve the following objectives: Scalable Monitoring, Increased Monitoring Frequency, Verification and Validation of Results, and Optimized Resource Utilization.

Current Status

The first phase of the project - Feasibility study – has been completed successfully. During the study, the key components of the automated satellite-based critical infrastructure monitoring system were successfully developed. These include the system for ordering, uploading, and manually verifying satellite images, as well as reporting detected events. Additionally, a customer communication system was established, and a specially designed web-GIS platform was created, which plays a vital role in facilitating interactions with customers and supports a significant portion of the system's overall functionality.

Extensive experience has been gained in monitoring various types of infrastructure objects using satellite imagery. Market participants, not only in Ukraine but also in other countries facing complex challenges of military, technological, or natural origin, have shown significant interest in monitoring services.

During the implementation of the project, collaboration was initiated with additional participating companies facing challenges related to critical infrastructure objects requiring timely and effective solutions. This encourages the company to continue developing the automated monitoring system, both with existing clients and industries already involved in this work, as well as with new players in emerging markets.

The application process to the demonstration phase of the project Automated satellite-based critical infrastructure monitoring is ongoing.

ASBCIMS current status

Status Date

Updated: 21 December 2024