The project aims to develop and exploit innovative tools based on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or “drones”) for the remote control and management of marine litter along European coastal areas.
Key activities include aerial flights with drones equipped with high-resolution cameras (visible, multispectral and thermal) over coastal or hard-to-access zones; automated image processing to detect and classify marine litter; and the design of a technological service with commercial potential.
This approach enables broader geographic coverage of monitoring, reduces field campaign effort, improves working conditions for field teams, and automates the detection of litter, facilitating more accurate prevention and mitigation actions.