INESC TEC once again took part in Portugal’s largest event dedicated to aeronautics, space and defence, unveiling a prototype of a seven-and-a-half-metre autonomous robot designed for deep-sea missions, as well as a reconfigurable intelligent surface.
Organised by AED Cluster Portugal, of which INESC TEC is a member, the event brought together companies, policymakers, government bodies, research centres, and national and international organisations in Cascais and Oeiras between 27 and 29 May to discuss current and future challenges while exploring opportunities for collaboration and partnerships. This year’s edition broke all participation records, attracting more than 1,100 attendees and featuring an exhibition with international companies such as AIRBUS, SAAB, DIEHL, MARTIN, GDELS, INDRA, MBDA, SIEMENS and D-ORBIT.
António Gaspar, Business Development Manager for INESC TEC’s Aerospace, Security and Defence (ASD) area, described the participation as a “success”. After “three intense days”, during which the INESC TEC stand attracted considerable interest from visitors, the focus now shifts to “turning the collaboration opportunities” that emerged into “concrete projects”.
The highlight of the event was undoubtedly PETRA – the Long-Range Deep-Sea Logistic AUV. Capable of remaining on the seabed for weeks at a time, transporting and recovering equipment, collecting data, and recharging sensor batteries, the prototype left the laboratory for the first time to be presented at AED Days.
“PETRA was designed to enable a sustained presence in the deep sea, strengthening national and European sovereignty in this environment. As a fully reconfigurable platform, PETRA can operate at depths of up to 6,000 metres and offers an operational range of 1,500 km,” explained António Gaspar.
INESC TEC also showcased a Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS). This technology enables the intelligent control of radio-frequency signal reflections on a surface. The RIS is based on reconfigurable antenna arrays and can be used in applications such as object detection and communications using narrow, highly directional beams.
Alongside António Gaspar, researchers Luís Outeiro, José Almeida, Carlos Almeida, Eduardo Soares and Ricardo Pereira also attended AED Days. The INESC TEC stand welcomed several distinguished visitors, including the Vice Chief of Staff of the Portuguese Navy.
