The Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras (APBA) has held a technical session within the framework of the “VIPE” Project (Vulnerability of Port Infrastructure from Space), focused on developing an advanced tool for risk and vulnerability management of port infrastructures, based on the application of Differential Interferometry of Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms.
This system allows the analysis of satellite images to detect displacements or deformations in port infrastructures with millimetric precision; and its application facilitates the evaluation of the structural state of the facilities without the need for ground instrumentation, which represents an advance in the remote and real-time monitoring of ports.
The project has been developed over 24 months and has received funding from the Ports 4.0 fund in its category of pre-commercial projects, promoted by Puertos del Estado. The project is a beneficiary of the 1st call, in which the APBA participates as a Facilitating Agent together with the Port Authorities of Castellón and Huelva, as environments for the development of use cases. The session was attended by José Llorca, Head of Innovation of Puertos del Estado, as well as Innovation and Infrastructure managers of the aforementioned ports. The start-ups developing the project also participated: Detektia and DeepInsight, spin-offs of the Topography and Geomatics laboratory of the ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.
The general concept consists of the development of a multidisciplinary web service for the management of the vulnerability of port infrastructure based on its failure modes (sliding, overturning or sinking) through the monitoring of the state of the infrastructure with the processing of satellite images, thanks to the aforementioned DInSAR technology.
As the functionalities of the tool are developed, it is expected that this technology will contribute significantly to the improvement of risk management in ports, reinforcing the safety and security of infrastructures. In addition, it will optimize preventive maintenance strategies and improve efficiency in the planning of interventions in port facilities. Another expected benefit is the advancement in the digitalization of infrastructure monitoring and control processes, facilitating a more accurate and data-driven management.
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