We at IIMEO are committed to addressing the challenges outlined in our recent blog by offering solutions that ensure fast and reliable monitoring of critical infrastructure, anytime. 

Our goal is to meet the following requirements: 

• monitoring tasks must yield results within one hour from user request
• monitoring should be feasible regardless of the time of day or weather conditions.

To meet our goals, we have developed the IIMEO system, which includes an on-board platform, an on-ground platform, and user services. The on-board platform uses advanced sensors and processing technologies to handle critical monitoring tasks. It features a Ka-band sensor for high-resolution radar images and high-resolution cameras that capture visible light, providing clear images regardless of the weather or time of day. The platform also has a powerful processor that uses AI to detect changes and problems in the infrastructure.

The project also includes designing an on-ground platform and a user-friendly interface that can be customized for various use cases and monitoring services. Together, the on-board and on-ground platforms, along with the user interface, form a complete system for monitoring infrastructure.

After the development phase, key technologies will be tested in an airborne technology demonstrator to ensure they work before being sent into space as a satellite payload. The goal of the final year’s flight campaign is to showcase the complete prototype service, including on-board data processing. Automated detection of obstacles on railway tracks will be used as an example. The national railway infrastructure management company in Serbia is a partner and pilot user. Slobodan Rosić, Serbian Railway Infrastructure (SRI) Risk Manager, explains, „A satellite-based automatic monitoring system allows us to gather high-quality information about the infrastructure’s condition in real time without interrupting regular traffic or needing personnel on site.“

In our next blog, we will introduce an innovative solution for railway infrastructure monitoring in collaboration with Serbian Railway Infrastructure. Stay tuned!