On April 16, numerous defense prototype demonstrations took place at the Navy’s Operational Experimentation Center (CEOM) in Tróia, during a visit by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro. Instituto Superior Técnico was represented by several of its research centers and student groups. The event, which included demonstrations involving drones, autonomous marine vehicles, submarines, and other vessels, featured the participation of researchers from the Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) and the Center for Nuclear Sciences and Technologies (C2TN), as well as students from the Técnico Solar Boat (TSB) and the AeroTéc – Técnico Aerospace Engineering Student Group.

Luís Sebastião, a researcher at ISR-Lisboa, showcased two marine vehicles that he would later present to Prime Minister Luís Montenegro. One of them can reach depths of up to 1,000 meters and is designed to monitor radioactivity levels in the ocean. “It’s something that remains largely unmapped—we still know very little, and there are few tools available to produce this kind of mapping,” he noted, adding a fun fact: the project is named Radioactivity Monitoring in Ocean Ecosystems, which forms the acronym RAMONES, a nod to the lead researcher’s love for the band.

As for the student groups, Técnico Solar Boat presented the SP-01, an autonomous marine vehicle powered by batteries and solar panels. André Carvalho, a first-year student in the Master’s in Electrical and Computer Engineering, recalled that during tests conducted at that same Tróia base in 2024, the vessel was able to tow a teammate back to shore in a simulated shipwreck search and rescue operation. Meanwhile, AeroTéc brought its latest prototypes to the event: Baltasar, a rocket developed as part of the RED project, which was also signed by the Prime Minister, and ATLAS, an aircraft designed to aid in forest monitoring and rescue during wildfires.

“For student groups, the collaboration we have here in Tróia, at CEOM, has created a range of opportunities for equipment testing,” explained Rogério Colaço, noting that the area is designated as a Technological Free Zone, “where students have access to testing and experimentation resources that are not easily found elsewhere.”

News and photo: Técnico