Drones4Safety to increase safety in European civil transport

In June 2020, a consortium of nine partners coordinated by the University of Southern Denmark has launched the EU-funded Drones4Safety project with the aim of increasing safety and security in European civil transport. Drones4Safety proposes an innovative solution that replaces the direct human involvement in railway and bridge inspections with a cooperative, autonomous and continuously operating drone system. Energy harvesting, Artificial Intelligence, and a swarm system are the key aspects of this project.
Drones4Safety to increase safety in European civil transport
In light of the drone’s technology evolution, the European Union has fostered researches and investments with the scope of using drone applications to ensure greater safety, security, and sustainability. Drones4Safety is one of the most ambitious projects in this sense. Promoted within the Horizon2020 Framework Programme, it addresses infrastructure managers, public services suppliers, drone operators, and citizens. Overall, the purpose of Drone4Safety is to ensure an accurate, autonomous, and continuous inspection of transportation infrastructures, thus enhancing the safety and security of both cargo and passengers.
Operational system
Currently, helicopters, aerial platforms or human operators conduct the inspections of railways and bridges with very limited functionality. The system proposed by Drones4Safety will overcome these limits by developing artificial intelligence algorithms for drones. Therefore, they will be able to detect infrastructure components and automatically recognize possible defects or anomalies through satellites and sensory data. Once the drone detects fault, it will report it to the drone operator via a cloud service system, which will not only collect information but also send data back for scheduling the drone missions. To increase efficiently, a swarm-like collaborative drone system will ensure the inspection of different sides of the targeted infrastructure.
The energy harvesting from high-voltage and railway cables will ensure the long-endurance of the operations. “One of the main challenges is also to see how we can recharge the drones along with this operation,” remarks Emad Samuel Malki Ebeid, Project coordinator and Associate Professor at University of Denmark “We made a preliminary analysis and we found out that 70% of bridges in Europe are within a three kilometers distance from high voltage cables. So, you can imagine the drone of the future flying autonomously near a bridge and, when the battery is low, finding the nearest high voltage cable, connecting, recharging and then coming back to inspect the bridge.”
Partners involved
The Drones4Safety consortium is well balanced in terms of equipment, facilities and intellectual resources as it brings together leading industrials, researches, and academic experts. The team, coordinated by the University of Southern Denmark (Denmark), is composed by: Aarhus University (Denmark), Fraunhofer (Germany), EUCENTRE (Italy), DELAIR (France), NEAT (Italy), ARIC GmbH (Germany), Deep Blue (Italy), Eurocontrol (Belgium).
Expected impact
Drones4Safety intends to increase safety and security in the European civil transport with a time- and cost-saving method. It also aims at improving the feasibility of inspections, moreover in case of lack of physical access or excessive risk to inspectors. Eventually, a self-charging energy system represents a more sustainable solution to reduce the CO2 emission produced by fuel-driven helicopters. The project will produce both software services and a hardware drone system for transport operators to use. It is estimated that Drones4Safety will open a new business market and generate economic growth. Moreover, it will secure a competitive advantage to the European industry to take leadership in using drones in various applications.
Stay in touch!
If you’d like to stay up to date with all the latest drone news, scoops, rumors, and reviews, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, or…
Subscribe to our Daily Drone News email.*
Submit tips If you have information or tips that you would like to share with us, feel free to submit them here. Support DroneXL.co: You can support DroneXL.co by using these links when you make your next drone purchase: Adorama, Amazon, B&H, BestBuy, eBay, DJI, Parrot, and Yuneec. We make a small commission when you do so at no additional expense to you. Thank you for helping DroneXL grow! FTC: DroneXL.co uses affiliate links that generate income.
* We do not sell, share, rent out or spam your email, ever. Our email goes out on weekdays around 5:30 p.m.
Discover more from DroneXL.co
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
Proposed legislation threatens your ability to use drones for fun, work, and safety. The Drone Advocacy Alliance is fighting to ensure your voice is heard in these critical policy discussions.Join us and tell your elected officials to protect your right to fly.
Get your Part 107 Certificate
Pass the Part 107 test and take to the skies with the Pilot Institute. We have helped thousands of people become airplane and commercial drone pilots. Our courses are designed by industry experts to help you pass FAA tests and achieve your dreams.

Copyright © DroneXL.co 2025. All rights reserved. The content, images, and intellectual property on this website are protected by copyright law. Reproduction or distribution of any material without prior written permission from DroneXL.co is strictly prohibited. For permissions and inquiries, please contact us first. DroneXL.co is a proud partner of the Drone Advocacy Alliance. Be sure to check out DroneXL's sister site, EVXL.co, for all the latest news on electric vehicles.
FTC: DroneXL.co is an Amazon Associate and uses affiliate links that can generate income from qualifying purchases. We do not sell, share, rent out, or spam your email.