Requirements analysis in ARCAD-IA project

Within the framework of transnational cooperation initiatives (e.g., SEA-EU), recent efforts have increasingly focused on the protection and valorization of marine cultural heritage. The ARCAD-IA (context-AwaRe deCision-making for Autonomus unmmaneD vehicles in mArine environmental monitoring) project aims to develop an intelligent, context-aware system for autonomous marine vehicles to support environmental and archaeological monitoring. The system integrates heterogeneous sensor data and applies a Computational Intelligence model to perform both quantitative and qualitative (e.g., High, Medium, Low) risk assessments. To this end, the project employs Artificial Intelligence techniques to preprocess multimodal data (e.g., signals and video sequences), including scenarios involving temporary data loss. A cognitively inspired reasoning approach, such as Fuzzy Logic, is used to enable adaptive, context-sensitive decision-making. The system is designed for integration into a marine drone (USV-ARGO) and will be validated through monitoring operations in the Marine Protected Area “Parco Sommerso di Gaiola,” located in the northwestern Gulf of Naples an area of high ecological and archaeological value within the Special Area of Conservation “Fondali Marini di Gaiola e Nisida.”