AI-Driven Tethered Drone Surveillance for Persistent Maritime Security

This study, conducted by researchers from the Information Processing and Telecommunications Center (IPTC) from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) presents an innovative system for persistent maritime surveillance based on an AI-enabled tethered drone platform. The proposed solution addresses key limitations of traditional monitoring systems in ports and coastal areas, such as blind spots, limited endurance, and high operational costs.

The system integrates a tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) mounted on a moving maritime platform, enabling continuous operation for up to 50 hours through cable-based power supply. This configuration provides a stable, elevated viewpoint that can dynamically adapt to changing surveillance needs.

In addition to its hardware architecture, the platform incorporates an artificial intelligence pipeline for real-time object detection and tracking. Using advanced computer vision models (YOLOv8 and BoT-SORT), the system can reliably detect and monitor vessels under realistic maritime conditions, including challenging environments with wind, waves, and occlusions.

The solution has been validated through field trials in Norway and Spain, demonstrating autonomous take-off and landing from moving vessels, robust performance, and reliable tracking capabilities in real-world scenarios.

Potential applications of this research include port security, detection of illegal activities such as smuggling or human trafficking, coastal monitoring, search and rescue operations, and environmental surveillance. The system offers a cost-effective and scalable alternative to traditional aerial surveillance methods, paving the way for next-generation autonomous maritime monitoring solutions.

Bibliographic reference:

Belmonte-Hernández, A., Grauby, B., Fernández García, A., Tardi, S., Houge, T., Bango, H. G., & Gutiérrez, Á. (2026). AI-Driven Tethered Drone Surveillance for Maritime Security in Ports and Coastal Areas. Drones, 10(4), 268. https://doi.org/10.3390/drones10040268

Alberto Belmonte Hernández: GS / ORCID / LinkedIn

Anaida Fernández García:  ORCID / LinkedIn

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/iptc-upm/

For more information: www.iptc.upm.es

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