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Security in port environments faces increasingly complex challenges, particularly in terms of underwater threats, where traditional surveillance methods prove insufficient to address them effectively. This article proposes the use of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs)<\/strong> combined with advanced sensors<\/strong>, capable of simultaneously monitoring the surface and the seabed, the validation of which in real-world conditions demonstrates a significant improvement in threat detection and operational efficiency within port infrastructure.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Underwater threats in port environments represent a growing risk to maritime security<\/strong> and operational continuity. Traditional surveillance methods, such as diver inspections or fixed sensors, have important limitations in coverage, response time, and efficiency in dynamic maritime settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this context, intelligent systems<\/strong> based on unmanned vehicles (USV, UAV, and AUV)<\/strong><\/a> are being developed, combined with advanced sensors<\/strong> such as sonar, cameras, LiDAR, and hydrophones, together with artificial intelligence techniques<\/strong>. These technologies enable more comprehensive monitoring across multiple domains (surface, air, and subsurface) and improve the detection of anomalous behaviour, particularly in relation to threats such as maritime smuggling and narco-submarines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An unmanned surface vehicle (USV)<\/strong> was developed and tested at the Port of Valencia<\/strong><\/a>, connected to a 5G Standalone network that provides high bandwidth and low latency for real-time remote operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The system integrates sensors such as PTZ cameras<\/strong> for visual surveillance and 3D sonar<\/strong> for underwater detection, enabling simultaneous monitoring of the surface and seabed. The system architecture is based on ROS 2<\/strong> and NVIDIA Jetson hardware<\/strong>, supporting sensor fusion, real-time processing, and continuous health monitoring of the platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\nProblem, context and current solutions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Proposed system: 5G-connected USV with integrated sensors<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5G infrastructure, testing and operational results<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n