Aeronaut advancing research capacities for the development of autonomous marine aerial systems for novel adriatic applications

Duration: 2025 - 2029

Programme: Institutional Projects / NPOO

Coordinator: University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture (UNIZAG FSB)

AERONAUT is a research and capacity-building project focused on the development of autonomous cooperative maritime-aerial systems through the integration of Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) and UAV-VTOL platforms. The project addresses key technological challenges, including reliable UAV take-off and landing on moving vessels and energy-aware operation through the integration of renewable energy sources for long-endurance autonomy.

Within the project, the LAPIS team contributes to the development of an advanced autonomy stack for cooperative USV-UAV systems. The focus is on Artificial Intelligence, simulation, and digital twin technologies enabling real-time perception, decision-making, and system optimization in dynamic maritime environments. The developed solutions support coordinated multi-agent operation, adaptive mission planning, and simulation-driven validation of autonomous behaviours.