DUTh

Democritus University of Thrace (DUTh) is a prominent institution in Greece, with its Laboratory of Robotics and Automation (LRA) focusing on advanced research in robotics, automation, and Industry 4.0 technologies. Located within the Department of Production and Management Engineering, the LRA conducts research and development in areas such as artificial vision, intelligent systems, and pattern recognition, integrating these with other technologies like IoT, cloud computing, and big data to address industrial and service applications. One of LRA’s primary areas is drone technology, where the lab has developed expertise in utilizing drones for various applications, including autonomous navigation and aerial monitoring. This work enhances the integration of robotics in sectors that require precision, automation, and resilience.

LRA is committed to advancing technological capabilities in Greece and the EU by leveraging its expertise in robotics and drones, contributing to the development of innovative solutions that address real-world challenges.

Role in the SPATRA Project

DUTh’s role in the SPATRA project is to design a drone-based detection algorithm for managing truck vehicle tracking effectively, addressing challenges like limited parking space and increased truck traffic. Using OS-NMA technology from the Galileo satellite system, DUThs ensures secure and authenticated navigation data for precise drone operations, preventing tampering or spoofing.

This system involves drones equipped with cameras and other sensors to survey parking areas and borders, detect trucks, analyze parking availability, and provide traffic congestion metrics. The parking availability algorithm differentiates between occupied and available spaces, ensuring that trucks are parked in designated spots and communicating updates to drivers and parking management systems. For the case of border congestion assessment, the system measures the traffic flow, evaluating critical metrics, such as truck density and average distance from the border.

 

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