The REACTION project aims to develop a comprehensive border surveillance platform by integrating autonomous vehicles (UxV) and AI for detection and classification, enhancing early threat identification.
During the past decade, Greece and Cyprus, being both part of the external EU borders, have been called to address major challenges associated with the socio-political situation in their surrounding territories and adjacent countries, such as irregular migration flows, smuggling, and human trafficking. Hence, early reaction and identification of relevant events may significantly increase the capacity of the border management agencies and provide adequate reaction time which is crucial and may be reflected in human lives.
Towards addressing these challenges, REACTION will connect to the existing platforms in Reception & Identification Centers (RICs) for proactive measures. It will use advanced algorithms and mapping, utilizing various heterogeneous sensors (including visual, thermal, and multispectral cameras, LIDAR, et al.), to improve border surveillance and emergency responses. The system will be tested in real border scenarios to reach a fully functional TRL-8 system, improving risk assessment and operational efficiency for law enforcement and border authorities.
Based on the outcomes of three successful EU-funded projects (CERETAB, AIDERS, and ROBORDER), a variety of autonomous vehicles (UxV) and relevant operational equipment will be utilized using a simplified commanding scheme to monitor remote EU border territories.
The project is a collaboration between the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum (coordinator), Hellenic Ministry of Citizen Protection/European and Development Programmes Agency (YDEAP), Cyprus Police, Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH), KIOS Research and Innovation Centre of Excellence at the University of Cyprus, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University of West Attica and Centre for Security Studies (KEMEA).
The project is implemented under the Border Management and Visa Policy Instrument (BMVI) and is co-financed by the European Union and the Republic of Cyprus.
