THERMAL-ID is a funded innovation project that enables Eight Bells to further advance its VTOL UAV platform through the integration of Artificial Intelligence, thermal imaging and edge computing capabilities. The project is funded by the European Union under the Civil Drones Innovative Programme of the European Cluster for Drone Innovation (ECDI), supporting the development of innovative technologies for civil and dual-use drone applications.
Through THERMAL-ID, Eight Bells is developing an intelligent onboard capability to detect, classify and re-identify vehicles from thermal imagery in real time. AI models will be integrated directly into the UAV’s edge computing environment, enabling sensor data to be analysed during flight rather than relying solely on the transmission of continuous video streams for ground-based interpretation.
Building on Eight Bells’ existing UAV and thermal sensing capabilities, THERMAL-ID will transform the platform from an aerial sensing system into a more intelligent and autonomous monitoring solution, capable of generating structured and actionable information directly at the edge. The project will culminate in a large-scale operational pilot in the Attica region of Greece, advancing the integrated solution towards Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7.