Enhance safety and protect the environmental heritage of the Castel Fusano pine forest – protected area of about 1,000 hectares within the Roman Coastal State Nature Reserve – with the use of satellites, drones, high resolution fire-fighting systems, video-acoustic sensors, Artificial Intelligence and 5G. This is the experimental project presented today by Roma Capitale and Leonardo, which the company coordinated at the helm of a consortium of companies active in the technological innovation sector. The initiative is part of the Memorandum of Understanding that Roma Capitale signed in 2019 with ESA, the European Space Agency. For the park of Castel Fusano it was devised an innovative ad hoc solution that allows you to monitor in real time the situation of the area and to intervene promptly. The system will be operational from July and will remain in operation until mid-2022. This was announced during a press conference by the mayor of Rome Virginia Raggi, the director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications of the European Space Agency (ESA) Elodie Viau , the president of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) Giorgio Saccoccia and the CEO of Leonardo Alessandro Profumo. Co-funded by ESA and ASI as part of the joint Space for L’Art initiative (L’Aquila, Rome, Turin) of the Artes program, the research project Ses5G – Secure Environment supervisor empowered by Satellite and 5G technology – aims to secure the Castel Fusano park from the point of view of public order, of fires and environmental protection through innovative technologies.
Leonardo explains that thanks to the use of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data analytics, data and information coming from different sources and sensors will be collected, filtered and correlated in a single system, cyber safe by design, to present in real time a photograph of the situation to the police, supporting decisions and interventions. Drones will be used for patrolling and image acquisition even at night; audio-video sensors to automatically detect critical events such as gatherings, gunshots or requests for help; systems for recognizing non-compliant cars through optical license plate reading; fire-fighting systems capable of detecting even very small outbreaks up to 15 kilometers away. Narrowband (Tetra) and broadband (LTE and 5G) networks will also be integrated to coordinate communications and interventions in the park. Aid will also come from Space, with earth observation satellites (Copernicus and Prisma) and telecommunications (Athena Fidus) for monitoring forest resources, controlling the territory and illegal activities and to guarantee a back-up for communications to broadband in case of unavailability of the terrestrial network. In particular, the Prisma dell’Asi satellite, thanks to the hyperspectral instrument created by Leonardo, is able to carry out a chemical-physical analysis of the area from 615 kilometers high, returning information on the health of the vegetation and allowing to generate a fire risk model.
“We want citizens – said the Mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi – to feel safe when they go to their city. The Pineta di Castel Fusano is a wonderful area from a naturalistic point of view, with great potential, and must be protected and enhanced. Unfortunately, however, – observed Raggi – it has often been hit by arson or chosen as a place to build illegal settlements or to illegally dump waste. Many citizens would like to visit it more but do not feel safe enough “.” With this surveillance system, spread over several levels, we have the possibility to have a more detailed control, to monitor critical issues, to intervene promptly and to make this area a safe place and therefore usable by all “added Raggi.
“We are proud to support Roma Capitale and the public safety authorities with technological solutions support in managing the challenges they face every day, whether it is providing timely responses in the event of emergencies or long-term planning interventions “commented Alessandro Profumo, CEO of Leonardo.” We are the industry that oversees the country’s strategic technologies and we are convinced that our role, even more so in this restart phase, is to support the administrations, with our know-how, in the development of a connected, sustainable, livable, resilient territory “added the CEO.” a precise commitment, supported by investments and a clear vision, defined in our Strategic Plan Be Tomorrow – Leonardo 2030 “.
This project, underlined the president of ASI, Giorgio Saccoccia, “is just a small example of what can be done“with the technologies deriving from space activities and” the calls dedicated to the initiative cover many sectors – including intelligent transport – so that space becomes something no longer distant but hinged on everyday activity and available to citizens ” . The system will be managed by a control room of the Environmental Protection Department inside the park of Castel Fusano and by the nearby Interforze Coi Operations Center. It will be usable from the Rome System Room of the Local Police and from the Operations Room of the Capitoline Civil Protection, while the information will be available, according to their specific characteristics, for all entities involved in the safety of the park. Telespazio (joint venture between Leonardo and Thales), eGeos (joint venture between Asi and Telespazio), Siralab also participate in the Ses5G project as partners. Epg, Radiolabs, Tpssferiacom.