Main objective of BRIDGES
The main objective of BRIDGES (Bringing together Industry for the Development of Glider Environment) in accordance with expected increase ocean industrialization, is to perform research on cost-effective, robust, re-locatable and easily-deployed autonomous platform with multiple sensing, surveying and monitoring capabilities to support long-term in-situ exploration and protection services of the coastal and deep ocean.
This objective will be achieved by:
Further improving the only existing European glider technology,
particularly in maximum operating depth and sensor payload in order to deliver a range of industrialized innovative gliders targeting key markets and enabling operation at all depths.
Integrating example suites of sensors
to demonstrate exploration and monitoring service capabilities for a wide range of science and industry domains (Essential Ocean Variables, MSFD and Copernicus, living resources, Oil & Gas, subsea mining and raw material extraction)
Developing methodologies and the software system layers,
enabling operational centres to supervise a fleet of gliders with a high level of autonomy as an additional sensing component of monitoring systems for science and industry services.
Standardizing the hardware and software components,
for open access and versatility of the system to allow easy maintenance, upgrading and commercialization of the platform and proper dissemination of data.