The 'ASSISTANCE' Project

Adapted situation awareneSS tools and taIlored training curricula for increaSing capabiliTie and enhANcing the proteCtion of first respondErs (ASSISTANCE).

The main purpose of ASSISTANCE project is twofold: to help and protect different kind of first responders’ (FR) organizations that work together during the mitigation of large disasters (natural or man-made) and to enhance their capabilities and skills for facing complex situations related to different types of incidents.

This will be achieved by accomplishing the following operational objectives:

  1. To address the FRs expressed needs and preferences in terms of useful information for increasing their capabilities and new sensors mounted on unmanned platforms or integrated in their wearable equipment.
  2. To develop a novel SA platform, including the integration of UAV, Robots and drones’ swarms and innovative modules, able to be adapted to the specific information needs of the different types of FRs organizations that cooperate during the response to a large disaster (natural or man-made)
  3. To establish the core of an advanced training network based on Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR) and Augmented Reality (AR) along with a set of training curricula tailored to the needs of the different types of first responders (e.g. firefighters, sanitary staff, police, etc.) and characteristics of the type of incident.
  4. To provide a robust network infrastructure for ensuring FRs and unmanned platforms connectivity during the mitigation operations and alternative ad-hoc network capabilities based on drones’ swarm for ensuring the basic sensors and modules connection.
  5. To validate the project results in a cost effective way under real conditions in a controlled environment through 3 pilot demonstrations which will involve FRs from different organizations.
  6. To measure the societal impact of the project and assure compliance with legal, gender and ethical EU principles and requirements, identify lacunae and hurdles and develop concrete recommendations to policy makers and FRs with the aim to improve the current level of protection for the FRs and increase their capabilities in a legal and ethical manner.

Implementation timeframe: 01.05.2019–30.04.2022

Budget allocated to ŁUKASIEWICZ – Institute PIAP: 430 968,75 EUR

Grant agreement no.: 832576

Project type: international research project

Coordinator: Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Spain

Consortium:

  • THALES SA, France
  • Agencia Valenciana de Seguridad y Respuesta a las Emergencias, Hiszpania
  • ETRA Investigación y Desarrollo S.A., Spain
  • Fundacion Andaluza para el Desarrollo Aeroespacial, Spain
  • Ministerio del Interior, Spain
  • Universidad de Cantabria, Spain
  • Instituut Fysieke Veiligheid, Spain
  • Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO, Spain
  • Openbaar Lichaam Gezamenlijke Brandweer, Spain
  • Centrum Naukowo-Badawcze Ochrony Przeciwpożarowej im. Józefa Tuliszkowskiego – Państwowy Instytut Badawczy, Poland
  • Ochotnicza Straż Pożarna w Ożarowie Mazowieckim, Poland
  • Sieć Badawcza Łukasiewicz – Przemysłowy Instytut Automatyki i Pomiarów PIAP, Poland
  • Viasat Antenna Systems SA, Switzerland
  • RISE Research Institutes of Sweden AB, Sweden
  • Sodertorns Branforsvarsforbund, Sweden
  • Ambulance and Emergency Physicians Association, Turkey
  • E-Lex – Studio Legale, Italy
  • CyberEthics Lab SRLS, Italy

Website: www.assistance-project.eu

EU_logo This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 832576.