Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV)
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The European Defence Fund has awarded €11.6 million to the DEEP-TECH project, an initiative led by INESC TEC to develop autonomous robotic platforms and infrastructures for high-risk deep-sea environments.
This 36-month project brings together 18 partners from 10 countries to address the critical need for monitoring, operation, and surveillance on the ocean floor. By integrating advanced technologies in energy storage, communications, threat detection, and advanced perception, the project aims to shift traditional surface operations to a localized, long-term underwater network. Planned solutions include submerged charging platforms, deep-sea Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), subsea stations, Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) for logistics, and distributed acoustic sensing layers.
These technological milestones are designed to establish resident systems capable of operating at depths of up to 6,000 meters.
“These technological advances are essential to establish resident systems capable of reaching depths of up to 6,000 metres, including unique docking capabilities at underwater bases, autonomous vehicles for logistics support, and autonomous relocation of sensor nodes on the seabed. The goal is to increase autonomy, resilience and operational permanence in deep-sea scenarios for the protection of critical underwater infrastructures,” said José Miguel Almeida, an INESC TEC researcher and lecturer at the Porto School of Engineering.
The deployment of resident autonomous systems and logistics support systems acts as a structural element that reduces the overall need for surface support vessels. DEEP-TECH builds upon previous deep-sea robotic systems developed by INESC TEC, including the TURTLE lander, the EVA AUV, and the PETRA AUV.
“Concerning civilian-related aspects, we already have several examples of technology operating at considerable depths, e.g., TURTLE lander, EVA autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), and the new deep-sea AUV, PETRA,” said Hugo Silva, another INESC TEC researcher involved in the project. “These vehicles translate and enable the implementation of a strategic vision for underwater environments that INESC TEC has been developing over recent years, in different projects – now part of the DEEP-TECH initiative.”
According to Silva, work in this area focuses on extending autonomy and operational capacity regarding range, operating time at sea, and depth. This accumulated experience will support the surveillance of the Portuguese Sea, which represents the largest deep-water maritime exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in Europe. The inclusion of Portuguese entities like INESC TEC, A. Silva Matos Metalomecânica, and the Portuguese Navy positions the country as a developer of disruptive deep-sea technology.
This initiative marks the first time INESC TEC has led a European Defence Fund (EDF) project, and only the third time a Portuguese entity has done so. The Institute also serves as the technical coordinator for two other ongoing EDF projects, VICTORIOUS and BATTLEVERSE.
António Gaspar, Business Developer in the Aerospace, Security and Defence area at INESC TEC, said, “Significant for Portugal, given the small number of EDF initiatives that the country has coordinated, and it contributes to the development of the national defence industry. Additionally, DEEP-TECH addresses a critical area for national sovereignty, seeking to create solutions for the management of the Portuguese sea and and seabed – both in the current context and in the scenario of an extension of the continental shelf.”
Gaspar noted that leading this endeavor validates the ability of a Research and Technology Organisation to head disruptive proposals with innovative contributions to defense. While INESC TEC does not work exclusively for the defense sector, marine robotics research remains directly applicable to deep-sea sovereignty challenges.
Beyond DEEP-TECH, INESC TEC is participating as the sole Portuguese partner in TRIDENT, a separate €20 million EDF-funded project led by the French company Thales SIX GTS. Involving 30 partners across 13 countries, TRIDENT focuses on threat detection in military environments using drone swarms.
“Will contribute to the development of technologies and methods for threat detection, using swarms of drones in GNSS-denied environments,” explained Silva regarding the TRIDENT project.
The Institute will specifically explore the ability of drones to self-localize using flight formation partners when GPS signals are lost due to jamming, which is the act of overwhelming satellite navigation systems with powerful radio signals.
The selection of these projects comes during a broader reactivation of the European defense sector, where the European Union utilizes the EDF research and development program to address emerging threats through artificial intelligence, robotics, and quantum technologies. Through these initiatives, INESC TEC aims to strengthen both European and national sovereignty.
“Besides the process of reactivating the Defence sector, the European Union felt the need to create an R&D programme – the EDF – to tackle emerging threats, particularly associated with disruptive technologies such as AI, robotics, quantum, among others,” Gaspar explained.
