Programme: Horizon 2020 Framework Programme Secure societies - Protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens. Topic: SU-DRS04-2019-2020 “Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) cluster”. Acronym: NEST. Grant agreement number: 101018596 – NEST. Duration: May 2021 - May 2024.
NEST will design and implement a novel and unique standoff system with the capability to detect multiple threats amongst which are CBRN threats or pandemic viruses. As the day-to-day protection of commercial and transport facilities is the responsibility of the owners and operators, in close cooperation with local law enforcement, NEST will support owners, operators, and security staff by providing (i) threat indications and warnings, and (ii) guidance for facility security by developing appropriate information-sharing and analysis mechanisms.
The system will rely on the simultaneous use of low-cost CBRN detectors embedded in one unique detection equipment, which can be located into different sites inside the building or carried by security staff. The use of low-cost sensors will enable to cover a wide space inside. NEST will help in the early detection of CBRN threats in real time, and also provide complementary information — such as such location of threats, temperature, humidity, time, operators involved, etc. — useful for auditing or investigation purposes. These functionalities will be achieved by using an IoT platform capable of acquiring, processing, and merging data from internal and third-party services. Artificial intelligence will be applied to support decision process for securing facilities and for generating automatic alerts.
Furthermore, augmented reality will be used to display threats and hazards in a manner that minimise distraction and cognitive failures. NEST will be validated in three different scenarios within the transport and commercial sectors. These scenarios include a diverse range of sites that draw large crowds of people. NEST will share information with the command centers of a stadium, a transport system, and a hotel to assess the risk situation. As a result of this action, owners, operators, and security staff will benefit from a universal system that will lay the foundations for creating a standardisation framework.