The Technology Center will use video analysis techniques, which are very reliable in low light environments, to control the number of boats entering and leaving the protected area
Located between the islands of Ibiza and Formentera, it is the second largest marine protected area in the Spanish Mediterranean
Gradiant launches the first pilot project of land-based marine surveillance for the Es Freus Marine Reserve, located between the islands of Ibiza and Formentera and considered the second largest marine protected area in the Spanish Mediterranean. The aim of this initiative, promoted through a participatory process led by WWF Spain as a partner of the FishMPABlue2) project, is to contribute to the monitoring of the protected area. To this end, Gradiant will provide the most innovative technology to control the movement of boats in the reserve and, in particular, in the Special Protection Area of s’Espardell.
Gradiant will apply intelligent video analysis technology in a specific area in the southeast of the reserve, located at a distance of 1 to 2 kilometers from the coast, with visibility from land. The algorithm developed by the Technology Center is considered one of the best in the world for its robustness and reliability in a natural environment with poor visibility. “We have been working for more than 10 years on the application of intelligent video analysis techniques for monitoring natural environments of high complexity, such as maritime surveillance and surveillance from aerial platforms. Through the use of multispectral cameras, we provide technology for object detection and tracking, allowing the best development of applications for surveillance, emergency and protection of natural resources,” said Silvia Abalo, Head of Video Analytics at Gradiant.
According to Oscar Esparza, one of the promoters of the pilot project, “this technology will help optimize resources for the control and monitoring of human activities in an area of great natural value that is under great pressure in the summer”. The pilot project will start this April and will last between 6 and 12 months. At the end of it, the Conselleria d’Agricultura, Pesca i Medi Natural of the GOIB will evaluate the possibility of extending the coverage to the entire Es Freus Marine Reserve, for which at least four new monitoring sites have already been identified, with detection ranges between 1 and 6 kilometers.
Gradiant’s Expertise in Intelligent Video Analytics
Gradiant’s intelligent video analytics technology was used in 2020 to control beach levels. It is also used around the world to protect birds in operational environments. In addition, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has relied on Gradiant’s expertise to apply the technology to maritime surveillance aboard the organization’s research vessels and to detect unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) posing a threat in urban environments. For the implementation of the pilot project in the Es Freus Marine Reserve, Gradiant will work with FLIR as a strategic partner. Gradiant has already worked with FLIR on previous occasions, such as the installation of thermal imaging cameras to combat illegal fishing along the Galician coast.
About Gradiant
Gradiant is a private ICT technology center focused on the needs of industry, specializing in the following technologies: cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, advanced communications (5G-6G), quantum technologies, drones and smart industry. An innovation provider with almost fifteen years of experience in technology incubation, a team of more than 150 professionals, a presence in 30 countries and more than 400 clients. In recent years, Gradiant has quintupled the number of licensing agreements for its innovation projects. Today, the company has 150 licenses in 18 countries. Telefonica, Vodafone, Samsung, Stellantis, NATO, Indra, Everis, Babcock International and Boeing are some of the most recent international public references.
