SME’s WAZP, A-techSYN, and VRAI have joined forces with academic partners The Tyndall National Institute, University of Limerick (UL), and University College Dublin (UCD) in the Drug Interdiction Using Smart Drones (GUARD) Project. The GUARD project aims to produce advanced autonomous drones. These drones will be developed to aid the Irish Navy and Customs to dramatically improve their drug smuggling interdiction efforts and reduce costs.

GUARD is a landmark project that will position Ireland as a world leader in next-generation autonomous drones and an innovator in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR), user interfaces, digital twins, and next-generation 3D printing. GUARD will be the world’s first marinized drones that will be capable of withstanding high winds, be able to take off and land anywhere including to and from ships, have an 800km range, and operate beyond line of sight. CEO and co-founder of WAZP, Shane Hassett had this to say: “We are delighted that the GUARD project has been selected for DTIF. It is a great chance to showcase that Ireland is at the forefront of innovation and technology. The team is really looking forward to bringing our knowledge and expertise in digital supply chain and additive manufacturing to the table and to cooperating with the other partners and learning from them to create something that is so desperately needed. This funding will mean more jobs for each of the partners and will result in expanding our team with an additional 25 jobs”.

Ireland has been identified as one of the softest targets for drug smuggling in the E.U. it has over 3,000 km of coastline and a marine area that is over 10 times its land size. Flight paths will be created using AI techniques and will provide swarm support. This will enable the drones to cover large areas with numerous drones operating simultaneously. WAZP will be using its expertise and 3D printing capabilities to produce RF components such as waveguides, lenses, antennas & filters. These components will create a new Gigabit mm-wave mesh network, which, combined with existing satellite and cellular links will result in a novel wireless communication; that will allow the drones to transmit high-resolution images and video to decision-makers.

WAZP offers its clients a sustainable, and flexible supply chain solution. By harnessing the power of Additive Manufacturing, WAZP inspires companies to produce quality products, closer to the point of need whilst achieving industry-defining pricing, increased design complexity, and efficient processes to support clients’ adoption of digital content manufacturing with ease and efficiency. Sustainability is built into the WAZP DNA by doing more with less, propelling operational excellence through a no-waste culture within the company. This goal is achieved by being creative, efficient, and resourceful. This means less waste and increased efficiency at all stages in the supply chain for their clients.