The Automation and Control Laboratory is a key part of the ExaDrone Project, strongly wanted by the Emilia-Romagna region to support the design of new technologies and applications regarding drones.

The Laboratory is managed by METAPROJECTS, an electronic engineering research and development company that has been operating in various sectors such as nuclear, medical, aerospace, automotive and industrial automation for over 40 years.

The team has advanced skills in servo motors, sensors, ultra-miniaturized GPS tracking systems, radio frequency applications, IoT and drones for special applications. Research and consultancy in embedded electronic design, based on functional models of predictive simulation, product development and industrialization, Firmware and software applications, and finally support for certification for product marketing.

The Laboratory is involved in a number of national, European and international research projects. some are summarised in the Project’s historical site.

ExaDrone Academy offers itself in the development of these new technologies and highly technological projects. If you are interested, please contact the Laboratory through the form "Ask for information". Our engineering team will be happy to work together.

The Insure project is composed of an Italian-led team, composed of ENEA, as coordinator, ENI, METAPROJECTS, IRSPS, NEXT Systems Engineering, SRS Research and Development Services and TIM. This is a call from the European Space Agency (ESA) for the safe dismantling of oil platforms, natural gas platforms and marine wind farms at the end of their life, in alternative the evaluation of possible "second life" solutions. The project called INSURE (INnovation in SUstainable offshoRe dEcommissioning) aims to use innovative technologies such as drones, sensors, IoT systems and artificial intelligence within the framework of the ARTES 4.0 programme, wanted by ESA to explore new opportunities for using its satellite technologies. The project involves the development of specialised drones to monitor operations and possible nuclear and environmental contamination, as well as the development of a multi-channel laser sensor capable of analysing water conditions in flight. The project uses 5G connections for drone control and data communication.

SAVE is an industrialization-ready ceiling lamp, equipped with a smart system that combines algorithms and radar technologies for safe personnel management. Easy to install and already equipped with virucidal certification, as well as sanitizing allows you to program its operation and signals the possible unwanted entry of people or animals during operations. In just 45 minutes it is able to sanitise from viruses and bacteria, including SARS-CoV-2, an environment of about 20 square meters, in the absence of people or animals. The SAVE project aims to prototype and test an innovative automated UV-C lamp solution, which enables the automated sanitization of work environments in a reliable, safe and cost effective way. The product has an advanced level of design safety, in addition to the required certifications and validation at the biological laboratory, Fusion Physics Division - Radiation Sources, Diagnostics and Laser-matter interaction Laboratory at the Frascati Research Centre of ENEA, which attests to the destruction of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The SAVE project aims to help revive the Italian economy after the wave of Covid-19.

The REMEDIA project (Research, diagnostics and methods to combat damage caused by environmental pollution in cultural heritage) aims to bring to an advanced technological maturity a diagnostic device to address the conservative problem related to rising moisture, a recurrent cause of degradation in porous materials, In particular, to quantify the extent and distribution of water infiltration on masonry well before damage is visible. The innovative technique chosen to carry out investigations on walls and archaeological environments is based on the use of Acoustic Imaging. The advantages of the instrument are non-invasive and no contact with surfaces, combined with high performance. The use of frequency-resolved audio-band acoustic imaging is the innovative technique chosen to carry out diagnostic analyses. An earlier laboratory prototype, already in use in field trials and currently at a state of technological development at system model level with application in relevant environment (TRL 6) is the basis for improving innovation and raising technological maturity (TRL 7). The project aims at technological innovation, and more specifically the creation of a product that is attractive from a commercial point of view, using for this purpose the collaboration of companies operating in the field of cultural goods in Lazio. REMEDIA has the ambitious goal of stimulating supply and demand for the diagnostic product, considering the current lack of commercially available similar products, and the resulting weakness in supply as well as demand.

The E series drones produced by the Automation and Control Laboratory of ENEA and METAPROJECTS are customizable, also for CBRN missions. There are several models, named after their wheelbase in millimetres: E-850, E-480, E-330.

These special drones are equipped with video sensors, nuclear sensors, gas sensors and biological sensors. They communicate with ground sensors powered in harvesting.

Some options are:

• Wireless on board charging in the drone;
• Very high precision GNSS;
• Laser and radar sensors for self-driving, profiling and obstacle recognition.
• Custom gimbals and remote-controlled automation from the ground for CBRN sensors;
• Open interface to third-party sensors;
• Custom fairing;
• CLEVERFOLLOWER® for continuous flight autonomy of up to 8 hours;
• Tracking and log files of CBRN operations on board
• 3D GPS to fly under shielding areas (bridges or viaducts);
• BVLOS control with 5G and SAT connection.

Sensor Scanning LIF

The Scanning LIF (Laser Induced Fluorescence) system is based on a compact, diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser source operating at 355 nm and a set of optical elements, a lens, an optical fiber and mirrors, transmitting laser radiation and coupling the signal received from the target surface, retro-flattened laser light and fluorescence with the multispectral detector. The sensor is extended to 32 channels and therefore applicable to the drone, which will transmit the data detected in flight to the remote control on the ground, which will process the log of the received data.

Nuclear sensor

Nuclear sensor of the latest generation in gamma ray detection. It has been specially designed for the application on the drone, among its features stands out its being compact and useful to environmental monitoring.