Leiria Polytechnic is leading DUVOPS (Digital Twins Heterogeneous Unmanned Vehicles Ocean Preservation System), a project using AI-driven drones to monitor and protect Portugal’s maritime space. Funded with 250 thousand euros, it aims to enhance ocean preservation and security. The initiative, tested in Tróia, collaborates with national defence entities and could be applied globally for tasks like oil spill prediction and territorial surveillance.

According to a press release from the Polytechnic, the DUVOPS project aims to develop a functional prototype that integrates artificial intelligence, digital twins, and autonomous fleets. This combination is expected to facilitate more efficient and strategic monitoring and intervention in oceanic environments. António Pereira, a professor at the Higher School of Technology and Management and a researcher at the Research Center for Information Technology and Communications, is leading the project.

The project builds on previous efforts, including the 'Digital Twin Boids Fire Prevention System,' which focuses on fire prediction and management through drone technology. DUVOPS is being developed in collaboration with the Institute of Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science, and the Portuguese Navy Research Center, along with strategic maritime defence entities such as the Portuguese Hydrographic Institute and the Maritime Operational Experimentation Center (CEOM).

António Pereira has also highlighted the global applicability of the solutions being developed, noting that digital twins can simulate scenarios like oil spills. “We can predict how the spill will evolve and deploy resources effectively,” he explained. The project will utilise a fleet of unmanned drones, boats, submarines, and land vehicles to provide comprehensive, real-time monitoring of designated maritime areas, enhancing Portugal's capabilities in ocean surveillance and territorial defence.