Open Call for Tech Solutions:
Apply by 24 April 2025 at 5pm CEST
The core innovation of AUTOASSESS focuses on a fully autonomous inspection of ballast tanks and cargo holds of vessels. AUTOASSESS employs an open approach to innovation that relies upon using the entire value chain of the consortium and external stakeholders to assess the best ideas, regardless of their origin.
This includes embracing the possibilities enabled by the Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) mechanism. Such an approach ensures that the consortium will be able to leverage the possibilities of cocreation to create solutions that are ready to go to market before project completion.
The Open Call for Tech Solutions
AUTOASSESS invites Startups and SMEs to present their innovative technology solutions to the use-case challenges identified by the AUTOASSESS technical team together with the use-case owners.
€100k
Maximum grant
6 Months
Programme Duration
Benefits
Get grants up to €100k
Funding rate of 70% of the costs for SMEs and 100% for Startups
Benefit from AUTOASSESS team of experts guidance, mentorship, training and access to infrastructure (demonstrators)
Be part of AUTOASSESS success stories, fostering industry uptake of AUTOASSESS solution
Contribute to real impact on demonstrators and end-user entities
Open Call Challenges
Domain: Telecommunications, Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), control systems, network protocol
The primary objectives of this challenge are:
- To develop and demonstrate a wireless communication system that can provide high-bandwidth and low-latency links for the offboard control of drones
- To ensure the reliability and robustness of the communication system under various environmental conditions and operational scenarios, including barriers and high interference environments (e.g. through multiple levels of at least 2cm thick steel and during demonstrations with a large number of connected devices around)
- To optimize the integration of this communication system with existing drone control and navigation systems to enhance their performance
Other specifications can be found under section “2.8 – What type of proposals can be submitted?”, of the Guide for Applicants.
Domain: Sensor integration, computer vision, design and development of miniaturized drones, advanced camera systems
The primary objectives of this project are:
- To design and develop a mini drone with a < 6-inch frame size that incorporates a stereo event camera
- To ensure that the mini drone is capable of agile flight and real-time data processing of the onboard sensors
- To integrate the stereo event camera with the drone’s control and navigation systems, enhancing the drone’s ability to perceive its environment and effectively avoid obstacles
Other specifications can be found under section “2.8 – What type of proposals can be submitted?”, of the Guide for Applicants.
Domain: Cargo hull & ballast tank
Objectives: Developing a high-TRL operator interface for the FA-IUAS to unlock the capabilities of fully actuated aerial platforms in autonomous contact-based NDT inspections.
Other specifications can be found under section “2.8 – What type of proposals can be submitted?”, of the Guide for Applicants.
Domain: NDT, Ultrasound
Objectives:
Design a multi-element ultrasound transducer concept for crack detection of tank walls and ship hulls suitable for use as a payload for drones in AUTOASSESS.
Perform tests to verify its applicability for crack detection in realistic conditions.
Other specifications can be found under section “2.8 – What type of proposals can be submitted?”, of the Guide for Applicants.
Domain: Sensor synchronization, sensor fusion, (Time-Sensitive) Networking
Objectives:
The objectives of this challenge will be to develop a prototype that integrates a hardware solution for accurate time synchronization of multi-sensor data on an AUTOASSESS drone. A drone carrying an inertial measurement unit, LiDAR, camera, and barometer, alongside the hardware for time synchronization, will be used to perform field tests and collect datasets. The performance gain achieved with high precision hardware time synchronization of multimodal sensor data should be assessed and investigated. Specifically, the drone’s capability to autonomously map, assess, and navigate in an unknown GNSS denied environment should be reviewed.
A precise and accurate hardware-based approach to multi- sensor data time synchronization will be compared to a purely software-based approach, using key markers of a known location in the environment as “ground truth”, allowing for an objective comparison between the two approaches to sensor data fusion.
Other specifications can be found under section “2.8 – What type of proposals can be submitted?”, of the Guide for Applicants.
Timeline
1
OPEN CALL APPLICATIONS
25 February at 12:00pm CET to 24 April at 5:00pm CEST
2
EVALUATION (5 PROJECTS SELECTION)
May 2025*
3
RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT
May 2025*
4
DEPLOYMENT PHASE
July - Dec 2025*
*Tentative dates
Who can apply?
- Startups and SMEs applying individually or in consortia (up to two entities)
- Applicants must be established/resident in Member States (MS) of the European Union (EU), including their outermost region; or Horizon Europe Associated countries.
Other eligibility criteria may apply. Please check the Guide for Applicants for more information.
Do you have questions?
Watch the recording of the Open Call webinar.
Do you have questions?
Register for the Open Call Webinar that will take place on 5 March at 10:30am CET.
