Commercial Applications of Space-Enabled Robotics: Health and Safety

This Call for Proposals invites proposals for Feasibility Studies and Demonstration Projects for services that combine the use of satellite technologies and robotics for downstream services for Health and Safety.

‘Robotics’ is here defined to include physical robots, autonomous drones, machines and vehicles, and precursory solutions or those that enable these (e.g. perception and navigation systems for autonomous vehicle services, connectivity solutions to enable tele-operated robotics…).

Within the health and safety sectors, applications are foreseen related to disaster response, search and rescue, CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive) operational safety, wildfire detection and response, telemedicine, social robotics, public and worker safety, and further application areas identified within the domains of health and safety.

Value of space

Satellite Positioning can provide coarse to high accuracy positioning information to autonomous vehicles, vessels and drones operating in outdoor spaces. This can be used for navigation, geo- and timestamping of collected data, time-synchronisation of networked vehicles, and/or determination of speed and heading. Satellite positioning could be combined with inertial and alternative positioning techniques to support effective navigation.

Satellite Communications provide data, video and voice communications and may add value to applications implemented in the following service provision scenarios:

• Environments that have inadequate, unreliable, compromised, or altogether absent mobile cellular connectivity.
• Mobile services that operate across regions with varying cellular connectivity quality (good in certain areas, poor in others…) and require continuous coverage and availability.
• Services that have high security, robustness and resilience requirements may benefit from satellite communications for redundancy in compromised or unforeseen circumstances.

Satellite Earth Observation (SatEO) could support robotic solutions at the service level i.e., providing complementary or enabling datasets to support the activities of the autonomous systems. This could be through situational awareness data to support the navigation of a robot, or use of Earth observation data to inform, initiate, or halt deployment of an autonomous system. SatEO data could refer to air quality measurements, thermal heat signatures, optical, radar, meteorology, or combinations thereof.

Spaceflight Technology. Spaceflight Technology Spin-Outs – applications of robotics developed for use in space (and other astronomical objects) that also have commercial applications on Earth, i.e. Spaceflight Spin-Outs – are also considered eligible. This could relate to tele-robotic solutions and algorithms (perception, planning, control…) developed for autonomy of space robotics that have applications on Earth, or otherwise.

Who can apply?

This opportunity is open to companies that intend to develop space-enabled services and products related, but not restricted, to the topics of relevance outlined above. Eligible countries for funding include the UK. Authorisation of Funding letters from the corresponding National Delegations are required as part of the application.

Eligible projects

The initiative is open to the submission of proposals for Feasibility Studies and Demonstration Projects:

• Feasibility Studies – which provide the preparatory framework to identify, analyse and define new potentially sustainable services (maximum cost €500,000)
• Demonstration Projects – dedicated to the implementation and demonstration of pre-operational services (case-by-case assessment of maximum cost)

Funding available

ESA offers:

• zero-equity funding (50-80% of total cost, depending on SME Status and Member State Approval)
• technical and commercial guidance
• access to ESA network and partners
• ESA brand credibility

If you would like to find a collaboration partner or know more about ESA, please contact Innovate UK Business Connect’s Space team.