The display of the ASCOD system as an optionally manned platform, in this case on rubber tracks, was carried out as part of the dynamic demonstration held on October 10th within the 2E+I Forum at the Los Alijares Maneuvers Field (Toledo) of the Infantry Academy and within the framework of the Force 35 initiative of the Logistics Support Command (MALE) of the Spanish Army. The Autonomous Platform ASCOD demonstrated its capabilities in an exercise designed by The Legion (Spanish Legion) to open a breach in a mine field, one of the most dangerous missions to be carried out. From a safe and protected position, the crew can drive and set the vehicle in position through the remote handheld multifunction driver display. The risk exposure to the crew in such situation is therefore significantly reduced.

The system provides the capacity for a remote and autonomous operation and being conceived as an add-on kit, it can be applied to newly designed ground platforms or transform conventional manned platforms into optionally unmanned platforms, a requirement that is increasingly in demand in the European Union and NATO for safe operations.

The ASCOD Platform Autonomous program is a clear example of cooperation among the Spanish Defense industry, based on the technological excellence of both companies, GDELS Santa Bárbara Sistemas and SENER Aeroespacial, to respond to the needs of the Spanish Armed Forces and, at the same time, position itself in the international market in a highly competitive manner and contributing to the export capacity of the Spanish Defense sector.

At the Toledo Forum, GDELS-Santa Bárbara Sistemas demonstrated constant innovation in the concept of a multipurpose platform that serves to integrate advanced and disruptive technologies into a Network of Capabilities (ASCOD), which allows efficient operation and management of vehicular systems both conventionally and autonomously or supervised autonomously. The demonstration of these new technologies signifies a qualitative innovation leap in the development of mobility capabilities that go beyond the design and manufacture of armored vehicles.

SENER Aeroespacial is responsible for the development of the platform’s real-time onboard navigation system, ensuring geolocation and real-time detection, identification, and positioning of elements in its environment such as the road, other vehicles, obstacles, signs. The system relies on a combination of multiple sensors. The data collected by these sensors is processed in a real-time processing unit where the merged and synergized data result in more reliable and robust information than those calculated by each of the sensors independently. Advanced data management techniques, information fusion, and artificial intelligence algorithms are used in the processor to process the images.

The program is the result of a collaboration agreement signed by both companies in 2021 with the aim of developing, designing and manufacturing a modular and interoperable system for armored platforms such as ASCOD as well as other wheeled or tracked vehicle systems.

The Director of Barcelona Metro, Oscar Playà, pointed out in recent statements to the media that smart and digitized ventilation management “guarantees health, and does so efficiently.” Ventilation, according to Playà, accounts for 40% of electricity use in stations, and with the digitization achieved with the RESPIRA® system, the director of the Barcelona Metro estimated the savings at 20%, or 3% of the network’s overall consumption, equivalent to 1.7 million euros. RESPIRA® is not just saving money; it is also contributing to sustainability by reducing electricity consumption by 6.2 GWh a year, which is equivalent to emitting 1,616 fewer tons of CO2.

Thanks to the ability of RESPIRA® to optimize HVAC systems with machine learning applications, and based on external parameters, RESPIRA® provides significant energy savings while maintaining comfortable conditions, thus maximizing the efficiency of the system. In the words of the data manager of the RESPIRA® team at SENER, Silvia Figuerola: “These data published by the TMB confirm the energy savings forecasts for the metro ventilation network that we had anticipated.” What’s more, RESPIRA® makes maintenance tasks more efficient by quickly identifying any abnormal operation in specific devices, and helping to determine those areas where new investments are most cost-effective. “As a result, the system helps us to efficiently and sustainably manage the equipment,” stated Figuerola.

How RESPIRA® works

RESPIRA® is an artificial intelligence system that is capable of lowering the heat index felt by passengers and metro workers by defining several criteria and reading parameters – such as the temperature, humidity and indoor air quality in the stations, and electricity consumption – in real time. These data are used by a dynamic algorithm to predict the environmental conditions inside stations (depending on the weather forecast, expected ridership levels and other factors) and then apply a mode of operation to each fan with the goal of improving the heat index while also minimizing electricity consumption. This way, RESPIRA® can be used to implement an optimal ventilation by sending individual speed setpoints to fans depending on the time and day.

Smart ventilation control also maximizes the amount of fresh air from the outside, a measure that results in increased hygiene inside the metro network and reduces the risk of spreading microorganisms, in keeping with guidelines from health authorities. This advantage will be particularly relevant with the arrival of fall and the expected spread of viruses that attack breathing passages, causing diseases such as the common cold, the flu and COVID-19.

For several years, SENER Aeroespacial has been investing in the development of COMINT technology. The objective is to progressively increase the level of responsibility and evolve from the role of architecture designer and integrator of subsystems supplied by non-national third parties to become, in the short/medium term, a company capable of integrating systems and designing, manufacturing and supplying complete subsystems based on its own product.

SENER Aeroespacial’s strategic vision, aligned with the principles emanating from the Ministry of Defense’s Santiago Program, can be summarized in the following pillars:

• Determined commitment to state-of-the-art product development, to maximize the use of national technology, resulting in greater Spanish sovereignty in electronic warfare.
• Focus on systems engineering, from which emanate the requirements of interoperability, integration and other technical-operational concepts applicable to the different segments and systems.
• To offer integrated and complete COMINT solutions in the medium term, with the possibility of integrating COMINT V/UHF with mobile and satellite monitoring for different platforms.
• Collaborate with national companies, based on the main technical capabilities of each one.

The Joint Electronic Warfare Program Santiago is a national signals intelligence (SIGINT) project of the Ministry of Defense that encompasses different platforms and systems (air, land and naval), equipped with sensors to capture signals for the radar, communications, optical and underwater acoustic bands, which act in a coordinated manner operated by the Armies, under the direction of the Intelligence Center of the Armed Forces (CIFAS).

For several years, SENER Aeroespacial has been investing in the development of COMINT technology. The objective is to progressively increase the level of responsibility and evolve from the role of architecture designer and integrator of subsystems supplied by non-national third parties to become, in the short/medium term, a company capable of integrating systems and designing, manufacturing and supplying complete subsystems based on its own product.

SENER Aeroespacial’s strategic vision, aligned with the principles emanating from the Ministry of Defense’s Santiago Program, can be summarized in the following pillars:

• Determined commitment to state-of-the-art product development, to maximize the use of national technology, resulting in greater Spanish sovereignty in electronic warfare.
• Focus on systems engineering, from which emanate the requirements of interoperability, integration and other technical-operational concepts applicable to the different segments and systems.
• To offer integrated and complete COMINT solutions in the medium term, with the possibility of integrating COMINT V/UHF with mobile and satellite monitoring for different platforms.
• Collaborate with national companies, based on the main technical capabilities of each one.

The Joint Electronic Warfare Program Santiago is a national signals intelligence (SIGINT) project of the Ministry of Defense that encompasses different platforms and systems (air, land and naval), equipped with sensors to capture signals for the radar, communications, optical and underwater acoustic bands, which act in a coordinated manner operated by the Armies, under the direction of the Intelligence Center of the Armed Forces (CIFAS).