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OPEN CALL #2

Advancing Drone Technology for Agriculture, Livestock and Forestry Management

HomeOpen Call #2 – Evaluator...

OPEN CALL #2

Call for Applicants

PRE-REGISTRATION FORM AVAILABLE

PRE-REGISTRATION UNTIL

27 FEBRUARY 2025

www.spade-horizon.eu

Evaluators (EV)

Introduction

SPADE is seeking independent evaluators to assess applications submitted to Open Call #2. As an evaluator, you will play a critical role in ensuring the quality and fairness of the selection process by providing impartial, technical, and scientific reviews of proposals. This is an opportunity to leverage your expertise to contribute to cutting-edge advancements in drone technologies and SPADE architecture.

Eligible evaluators must meet specific criteria. Prior experience in evaluating technological projects and a deep understanding of technical, scientific, and commercial aspects of drone technologies are essential. Importantly, evaluators must maintain neutrality, with no affiliation to organizations participating in the SPADE Open Call #2 or consortium.

Your evaluations will focus on aspects such as technical relevance, implementation feasibility, scientific excellence, and the impact of the proposals. The number of applications assigned to you will depend on the volume of submissions and evaluator availability. Once contracted, you will receive access to the SPLORO platform for secure and streamlined evaluations. By becoming an evaluator, you contribute to advancing innovations in drone technology while gaining insights into pioneering projects.

Challenges

UCU-CH1: Swarm Communication and Navigation

Challenge: To develop a communication and navigation system for drone swarms to map areas using LiDAR. A central computer will process sensor data into a detailed map while coordinating swarm navigation to ensure full coverage.

UCU-CH2: Open-Source Tilted Rotor Drone System

Challenge: To develop an open-source omnidirectional navigation system using a tilted rotor drone design. The proposal should include hardware development for tilted rotors and the creation of a vectored thrust controller as an extension to the PX4 flight controller. This controller will manage rotor tilting angles and speeds, with the software operating on the drone’s onboard computing unit.

UCU-CH3: Aerial Mapping for SPADE Platform

Challenge: To develop and deploy an AWS-based system for uploading raw images, processing them into orthomosaics, and integrating with a third-party microservice for data storage and further analysis. The system will include APIs for image upload, processing options, and data download, supporting radiometric calibration images, multiple data outputs, and connection with an FMIS.

CS1-CH1: ML for Disease Detection in Mediterranean crops

Challenge: To explore innovative applications of machine learning (ML) for disease detection on plants and crops, primarily focusing on orange trees and potatoes. Analyse large datasets to identify patterns, predict outbreaks, and enhance diagnostic accuracy to improve crop health and agricultural sustainability.

CS1-CH2: Open Field Data Collection and Annotation

Challenge: To acquire and structure open-field crop datasets to train cloud-based ML models for at least two focused applications, requiring access to multiple fields for data collection. As part of the Open Field Case in the SPADE project, it supports the creation of comprehensive segmented datasets of georeferenced aerial images captured by UAVs equipped with RGB, thermal, multispectral, or hyperspectral cameras.

CS2-CH1: Below-Canopy Forest Data Collection and Annotation

Challenge: To support the collection and annotation of a comprehensive European below-canopy forestry dataset. Include annotated images and point clouds to facilitate segmentation and classification of below-canopy forest environments.

CS2-CH2: Ultralight Self-Levelling Landing Gear for Quadrotor Drones

Challenge: To design adaptive, lightweight landing gear solutions for quadrotor drones. Ensure safe take-off and landing on uneven terrain with minimal added weight.

CS3-CH1: Virtual Fencing Application for Livestock Grazing Management

Challenge: To develop a virtual fence thresholding application for targeted grazing management. Utilize the SPADE Livestock Platform (SLP), Parrot Anafi USA UAV, and animal collar transceivers to monitor livestock, collect relevant data via SLP, and validate the solution in real-world scenarios by securing access to a livestock farm.

CS3-CH2: Acquiring and structuring livestock open field animal wellbeing/healthcare datasets for training ML models

Challenge: To acquire and structure livestock open-field health and welfare datasets to train cloud-based machine learning models. Achieve over 80% accuracy in detecting at least one specific animal vector-disease variation. Secure access to a livestock farm for data collection and validation.

Selection Process

  • EV Registration:

    28/02/2025 - 28/03/2025

  • EV Proposals Evaluation:

    31/03/2025 - 09/04/2025

  • On-boarding Webinar

    12 May 2025, 10:00 Brussels time

  • Applications Evaluation by EV

    May 2025 - June 2025

  1. EV Registration:

Interested evaluators for Open Call #2, need to create an evaluator profile and complete the registration form supplemented with CV

  1. EV Proposal Evaluation:

Applicants must be European citizens or residents/taxpayers in eligible countries, not have participated in SPADE proposal teams, and ensure their application is complete and submitted electronically

  1. On-boarding webinar:

Selected evaluators must attend the dedicated on-boarding webinar on 12 May 2025, 10:00 Brussels time and adhere to strict confidentiality and conflict-of-interest policies

  1. Applications evaluation by EV:

Evaluators commit to reviewing proposals from  May 2025 to June 2025

Support

Guidelines and other supporting documents will be available soon. For your inquiry, send an email to Click Here

To learn more about us, visit our Webpage and our YouTube

How to Register

To register as an evaluator for SPADE Open Call #2, simply follow these steps: Visit the SPLORO platform and create your evaluator profile. Complete all required fields in the registration form and upload your CV in PDF format. Ensure that your submission is accurate and complete to be considered from 28 February 2025 – 28 March 2025, 17:00 Brussels time

The pre-registration is avaliable! Pre-register yourself now!

PRE-REGISTER NOW

Results

The selected evaluators will be published in this section

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